A CEBU-BASED non-government organization (NGO), Community Empowerment Resource Network (Cernet), is calling for an audit of the Department of Justice (DOJ) over alleged misuse of anti-terror financing measures.
This, after the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) delisted the Philippines from the grey list.
Cernet claims the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict is targeting legitimate civil society organizations instead of focusing on actual money launderers and Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators.
They argue the government’s compliance efforts to exit the grey list included baseless cases against humanitarian workers and rights defenders.
Cernet 27
The group cited the case of “Cernet 27,” in which 27 members were charged with terrorism financing for allegedly providing funds to the New People’s Army in 2012.
The DOJ filed the case in 2023, leading to indictments in 2024.
Among the accused are 18 council members, board trustees and staff, with some no longer affiliated with Cernet.
The NGO pointed out that three of the accused had died before the case was even filed.
The Philippines was placed on the FATF grey list in 2021 due to concerns over money laundering risks, unregistered remittance operators and terrorism financing cases.
The government’s recent compliance efforts led to its removal, which the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and Anti-Money Laundering Council hailed as a boost to international transactions and investments.
However, international scrutiny remains.
The United Nations sent a letter to Malacañang in August regarding the Cernet 27 case, urging the government to prevent human rights violations.
Cernet warns that such cases damage the country’s reputation and deprive hundreds of grassroots organizations of crucial aid and services. / CDF
