By SHERWIN DE VERA
www.nordis.net

QUEZON CITY— “Systematic and deliberate” was how Leonida Tundangui, executive director of the Baguio-based non-profit Katinnulong Daguiti Umili iti Amianan a Luzon (Kaduami), described the series of charges filed against development workers and their organizations. The latest case involves two of their trustees and a lay worker.

On November 25, Kaduami personnel traveled to Quezon City to urge the House of Representatives and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to investigate “Project Exit the Greylist,” an alleged government scheme using Financial Action Task Force (FATF) compliance to target red-tagged organizations and individuals.

Kaduami, a 41-year-old organization, provides socio-economic services to rural communities and marginalized sectors in Northern Luzon. Implementation of its programs is in partnership with people’s organizations and works with local governments and offices.

Kaduami trustees Lenville Salvador and Petronila Guzman, and Ilocos Region Ecumenical Council volunteer Myrna Zapanta joined the group. The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Region 1 filed terrorism financing complaints against the three based on the testimony of a purported former rebel.

In a letter submitted to both offices, Kaduami said: “We fear that the government’s compliance with FATF guidelines to exit the grey list…is systematically being applied against red-tagged non-profit organizations that have been providing services to marginalized communities.”

The office of Manila 6th District Representative Bienvenido Abante Jr., chair of the House Committee on Human Rights, received the letter. They also met with Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel, who was sponsoring a resolution with other Makabayan lawmakers, calling for a probe into the matter.

Tundangui stated in an interview that they provided documentary evidence of the project obtained from the government’s submission in the terrorism financing case against their colleagues. She noted that “Exit the Greylist” was mentioned in a directive to profile Zapanta,

“We believe they are also using this to surveil other individuals they want to target just to comply with FATF regulations,” she added.

First time

The group also met with CHR officials on the same day. Lawyer Jasmin Regino, director of the Human Rights Protection Office, led the meeting.

Regino said it was her first hearing about the project but assured the group she would inquire with the chairperson and other offices to determine if they discussed the issue in earlier talks with civil society organizations.

She noted an increase in terrorism financing charges against human rights defenders, often based on testimonies from former rebels.

Regino shared that CHR is investigating the cases as part of a growing concern about the “weaponization of the law,” a point raised by civil society organizations. She also assured Kaduami that the CHR would raise the issue with members of the security sector and continue monitoring the Department of Justice’s preliminary investigation.

Threat to community services

The Makabayan bloc has filed House Resolution No. 2093, urging the House to investigate the allegation. “These attacks constitute a clear pattern of harassment against development workers and threaten the delivery of social services to marginalized communities.”

Carlos Conde, Human Rights Watch Asia senior researcher, said the uptick of terrorism financing charges against non-profits significantly impacts service delivery in disaster-affected areas.

“Especially at this time of year when there are frequent typhoons, and with climate change, these kinds of actions by the government to harass these groups will have an impact on the communities, particularly the underserved,” he said in mixed Tagalog and English during an earlier interview this month.

Conde pointed out that aside from the freezing of assets and cancelation of funding, NGO leaders are being arrested, harassed, and persecuted, with some stopping their operations because of the threat and fund shortage.

“These NGOs have been working with these communities for decades precisely because the government is not that well-resourced to address the needs of these communities; they are really lacking in that area,” he added. # nordis.net