KARAPATAN welcomes dismissal of terrorist financing charges vs dev’t worker

KARAPATAN welcomed the dismissal of the terrorist financing charges against Jazmin Jerusalem, executive director of Leyte Center for Development Inc. (LCDe), a multi-awarded 36-year old development NGO. The complainant, Police Master Sergeant Divine Grace Songalia of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Region 8 alleged that LCDe was used as a “front to channel funds received from foreign sources to CPP-NPA members”.

In support of Songalia’s complaint, certain individuals such as Alma Gabin, Margie dela Cruz, Serapeon Nabreja and Ana Rose Codillo executed perjured sworn affidavits linking Jerusalem to specific incidents where they allegedly facilitated the transfer of funds to the CPP-NPA.

The four-page resolution penned by Leyte City Prosecutor Ma. Liza Miscala-Jorda cleared Jerusalem for insufficiency of evidence, stating that the complainant anchored her evidence solely on the statements of alleged former rebels who claimed to be Jerusalem’s co-conspirators, as they directly participated in the preparation and channeling of funds to the CPP-NPA. According to Jorda, the prosecution witnesses’ declarations and implication of the respondent for the said crimes are inadmissible unless there is independent proof that such conspiracy exists.

“This decision by the Leyte City Prosecutor is significant, since the Marcos Jr. government, through the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), has been using alleged rebel returnees to execute affidavits based on lies and made-up stories in exchange for money and livelihood projects,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay. “The perjured testimonies of these so-called rebel returnees, the bases of several trumped up charges, should not be given an ounce of credibility by the prosecutors and the courts,” said KARAPATAN secretary general Cristina Palabay.

“The dismissal of the charges against Jerusalem supports our view that such legal actions are based on evidence that is flimsy or patently false,” said Palabay. “These charges have been purposely filed to harass organizations like LCDe and derail their pro-people activities.”

Palabay also raised concerns that the government may continue harassing Jerusalem and her organization by refiling the case using more manufactured evidence.

“This nefarious practice must stop and organizations like LCDe must be free to serve the most marginalized communities without fear of reprisal,” she added. “We firmly reiterate our call to junk all terror laws and abolish the NTF-ELCAC,” concluded Palabay.