KARAPATAN assails the reported filing of financing terrorism charges against five Negros-based development workers of the Paghida-et sa Kauswagan Development Group (PDG) as part of the Marcos Jr. regime’s policy of political persecution of development and human rights workers using terror legislations.
Among the development workers are: Clarissa Ramos, the widow of slain human rights lawyer Ben Ramos is the former executive director of Paghida-et sa Kauswagan Development Group (PDG); Felipe Gelle Jr. is part of PDG’s staff in addition to heading the Human Rights Alliance of Negros; Dharyl Albañez, Federico Salvilla and Perla Pavillar are former and current staff members of the PDG. PDG, a well-known development NGO based in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental focuses on promoting sustainable agricultural programs.
Charges of violating RA 10168 or the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 have been reportedly filed against the five development workers by the Department of Justice (DOJ) at the Regional Trial Court Iloilo Branch 31, the court designated to hear terrorism-related cases in Western Visayas. The five received subpoenas in March this year from the DOJ after a police sergeant filed a trumped-up complaint of alleged terrorist financing against them.
The case against Ramos and Gelle comes on the heels of the terrorist financing case against Sarah Alikes, a staff member of the People’s Welfare Commission of the Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA). Alikes was acquitted on trumped-up arson and robbery charges in relation to the burning of two mining trucks in February 2017 allegedly by the New People’s Army. Despite her acquittal, the police is now accusing Alikes of financing the alleged arson in 2017.
“This series of terrorist financing charges targeting development workers are outrageous,” said KARAPATAN secretary general Cristina Palabay. “The Marcos Jr. regime would rather waste its time and resources on persecuting development activists and their organizations even as the country has yet to recover from being buffeted by super typhoons and the people are reeling from economic hardships.”
“KARAPATAN slams the Marcos Jr. regime’s relentless hostility towards people-centered development workers and advocates and demands a stop to the arbitrary filing of trumped-up terrorist financing cases against them,” concluded Palabay.