Civil society groups in the Catholic-majority Philippines welcomed the dismissal of the terrorism financing charges against the Community Empowerment Resource Network Inc. (Cernet), its officers, and council members.
Watershed Moment for Human Rights Defenders
Lawyer Aaron Pedrosa, secretary general of the coalition of civil society groups Sanlakas, told SunStar Philippines: "This is yet another watershed moment for human rights defenders who continue to endure state repression, with the whole state apparatus being mobilized to weaponize the law." He added, "While we revel with those who have been vilified but ultimately exonerated, we remain vigilant against the continuing attacks against rights defenders."
The National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL), which counseled Cernet, maintained in a statement that "one of the essential elements of the offense was absent from the start." Lawyer Josalee Deinla, NUPL secretary general, said the case "highlights the continuing weaponization of counterterrorism laws against humanitarian work and legitimate advocacy." She noted that these laws grant executive agencies sweeping powers with immediate and punitive consequences, often before any meaningful judicial scrutiny can take place.
Broader Implications for Civil Society
Atty. Raffy Pajares, executive director of the Environmental Legal Assistance Center (Elac), called the dismissal "very welcome." He recalled a similar case involving the Leyte Center for Development Inc. (LCDE) and its director Jazmin Jerusalem. The Tacloban Regional Trial Court on February 27, 2026, also dismissed terror financing charges due to insufficient evidence and lack of a valid terrorist designation at the time of the alleged acts. "When the case was filed against them, it sent a chilling effect to all civil society organizations that even if you're a multi-awarded agency, you can still be targeted," Pajares said. "Development organizations like LCDE and Cernet do not work with last mile communities to sow chaos but instead to help communities understand the chaos that exists." He added, "It is difficult if the law is applied in an arbitrary manner because many lives will be affected."
Government Campaign Questioned
Veteran human rights researcher Carlos Conde, founder and editor of Rights Reports Philippines, said the dismissal "is possibly the best proof so far about how mistaken and wrong-headed the government's campaign has been against terrorism financing." He told SunStar Philippines: "It affirms what the victims have been saying all along – that development work should not be criminalized and should not be exploited to pursue the government's agenda against critics and activists. The case is just among the many where courts have dismissed charges and humiliated the government."
NTF-Elcac Responds
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), a government task force created in 2018 to address the root causes of insurgency, said it respected the ruling but noted that it "did not invalidate the State's responsibility to investigate allegations related to terrorism financing when warranted by evidence." Executive Director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. stated on May 21: "We must see through the current noise being peddled by those who celebrate the dismissal so that discussions will remain balanced and honest. The task force holds these fundamental truths regarding the nation's continued fight against the communist insurgency: that activism is not terrorism, that humanitarian work is not a crime, and that criticism of government policies is part of democratic life and should remain protected." He added, "But here lies the rub: it is equally irresponsible to insist that all investigations involving insurgency financing are automatically harassment or political persecution. A democratic state cannot simply ignore allegations because the personalities involved belong to NGOs, advocacy groups, or legal organizations."
