Philippine Court Acquits Group of Terrorism Financing Charges

Terrorism financing charges against the Community Empowerment Resource Network (CERNET) have been dismissed by a Philippine court this week. CERNET, a Cebu-based NGO, works to uplift marginalized communities by advocating for their economic, social, and cultural rights. The Philippine government previously filed several cases under the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 against human rights activists and various civil society organizations. This action appears to be part of an effort by authorities to remove the Philippines from the Financial Action Task Force's "grey list." Being on this list poses challenges like decreased access to international financial markets and reputational harm for the nation. Following the court's decision, Oliver Gimenez, chair of CERNET’s board, remarked that the ruling highlights the risks of misusing counterterrorism laws against genuine humanitarian and developmental initiatives. The court dropped the terrorism financing charges after agreeing to CERNET’s request to dismiss what it called an “insufficiently charged” case. Prosecutors alleged in 2024 that CERNET had improperly transferred PHP135,000 (approximately US$2,200) to the New People’s Army, an armed faction associated with the Communist Party of the Philippines. In 2023, the Anti-Money Laundering Council froze CERNET's bank accounts during an ongoing preliminary investigation at the Department of Justice, which severely limited the NGO’s banking capabilities. According to CERNET's attorney, Ephraim Cortez, this restriction impacted around 70 percent of the organization’s operations. Despite the favorable ruling, CERNET's bank accounts remain frozen. Although the Philippines was removed from the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list in February 2025, the government continues to initiate new terrorism financing charges against activists and pursue existing cases involving civil society groups and journalists. The task force, along with its regional partners, is expected to evaluate the Philippines' performance in combating terrorism financing and money laundering next year. They should encourage the Philippine government to ensure that anti-terrorism laws are not weaponized against civil society organizations. For more insights, please check out additional coverage at [Human Rights Watch](https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/05/19/philippine-court-clears-group-of-terrorism-financing-charges) and [Amnesty International](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/05/philippines-court-ruling-on-terrorism-funding/). For related articles, visit [Globemigrant - Human Rights Issues](https://www.globemigrant.com/human-rights-issues) and [Globemigrant - NGO Challenges](https://www.globemigrant.com/ngo-challenges).

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