KARAPATAN welcomes dismissal of terror cases vs dev’t worker in Eastern Visayas, supports filing of protective writs of rights lawyer and dev’t workers in Negros
KARAPATAN Public Information
PRESS RELEASE
5 March 2026
Reference: Cristina Palabay, KARAPATAN secretary general, 09173162831
KARAPATAN Public Information Desk, 09189790580
KARAPATAN welcomes dismissal of terror cases vs dev’t worker in Eastern Visayas, supports filing of protective writs of rights lawyer and dev’t workers in Negros
“The dismissal of the trumped up civil forfeiture and criminal cases against a long-time development worker in Eastern Visayas emphasizes the need to defend development workers and activists from further threats and harassment due to relentless terror-tagging and attacks on the right to association, as well as the right to provide humanitarian aid.”
Thus said human rights alliance Karapatan, as the Tacloban City Regional Trial Court Branch 45 dismissed the three counts of alleged violations of Republic Act No. 10168 or the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act against Leyte Center for Development, Inc. (LCDE) director Jazmin “Minet” Aguisanda-Jerusalem in a decision issued on February 27, 2025.
This development came after the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 28, on February 20, ruled in favor of Leyte Center for Development, Inc. (LCDe) in the civil forfeiture case against the NGO, affirming that “asset-freezing and forfeiture measures cannot be based on speculation, manufactured accusations, or politically driven narratives, but must rest on competent evidence and respect for due process.” The court said that the prosecution failed to credibly link LCDe’s bank accounts and transactions to any unlawful activity under the Anti-Money Laundering Act and the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act. It cited serious gaps in the financial investigation, including the lack of reliable proof, an unreconciled timeline, and the failure to meaningfully examine the legitimate nature of the organization’s work and funding sources.
“The dismissal of the trumped up cases against Jerusalem reaffirms that the baseless accusations of terrorism financing against persons and organizations are forms of judicial harassment due to their legitimate development and humanitarian work,” said Cristina Palabay, secretary general of KARAPATAN.
Meanwhile, KARAPATAN expressed its full support for the filing of the petition for the writs of amparo and habeas data before the Supreme Court on behalf of Atty. Rey Gorgonio and development workers of the Paghidaet sa Kauswagan Development Group (PDG) in Negros. The petition seeks judicial protection against persistent death threats, surveillance, harassment, and attacks, in the same breath of Jerusalem’s experience in their work in the rural communities of the Visayas.
“The threats against Atty. Gorgonio and PDG workers are not isolated incidents but part of a systematic campaign of intimidation and red-tagging against political dissenters, human rights lawyers and development workers,” Palabay said. “The filing of the writs of amparo and habeas data is both necessary and urgent, to protect those under attack.”
Palabay recalled that the threats against Gorgonio and the staff of PDG are especially alarming given the killings of activists and rural folk in Negros after a series of red-tagging and surveillance.
“We call on the Supreme Court to urgently grant the petitions for the protective writs, and listen to how grave dangers are faced by those defending land, livelihood, and people’s rights under the guise of counter-terrorism,” Palabay said.
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KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties. It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign. It was established in 1995.