Events

Silencing People’s Voices: State Censorship in the Anti-Disinformation Bills A Position Paper on House Bill (HB) 9465 and its Senate Counterpart Defend NGOs Alliance 17 July 2026 The Defend NGOs Alliance strongly rejects HB 9465, otherwise known as the “Digital Media Anti-False Information Act”, and its counterpart in the Senate. The alliance opposes its railroaded passage in Congress, as the bills pose a dangerous threat that could close civic space. The fast-tracked passage

Broad Nets, Narrow Freedoms: The Chill of the New Espionage Act Position Paper of the Defend NGOs Alliance on HB 9642 23 September 2026 The Defend NGOs Alliance strongly opposes House Bill No. 9642, “An Act Expanding the Coverage of Espionage Law,” cited as the “New Espionage Act,” authored by Representative Zamora (Y.M.), Oducado, Suan, Romualdo, and more than thirty other co-authors. The House of Representatives approved the bill on third and final reading on 17 September 2

Even after securing court orders in favor of releasing funds, the Leyte Center for Development, Inc. (LCDe) still continues to endure months of asset freezing. On 20 February 2026, the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 28 denied the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s request for an Asset Preservation Order (APO) and lifted its temporary freezing under the Provisional Asset Preservation Order (PAPO) signaling the release of funds which has been extensively withheld for two

The Defend NGOs Alliance strongly denounces another state-sponsored legal persecution this time against 11 activists in Cagayan Valley. Six regional leaders—Renato Gameng, Nelson Escalante, Anne Pascual, Jhames Paredes, Marifel Macalanda, and Walter Villegas—recently faced trumped-up terrorism financing charges under Republic Act 10168 or the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012. They join Isabelo Adviento, Agnes Mesina, Cita Managuelod, Jackie Valen

LOOK: On July 30, 2026, Leyte Center for Development, Inc. (LCDe) attended their pre-trial hearing on civil forfeiture. LCDe Executive Director and Defend NGOs Alliance Spokesperson Jazmin Jerusalem questioned the continuation of their trial after a criminal case founded on the same grounds was dismissed. She also demanded the release of their organizational and personal funds by the Anti-Money Laundering Council after the agency failed to secure a permanent freeze order. #As

The Defend NGOs Alliance stands in firm solidarity with journalist and media advocate Marchel Espina, along with all truth-tellers facing relentless legal harassment. The recent issuance of an arrest warrant for “unjust vexation” against Espina, stemming from an opinion piece published during her tenure as editor-in-chief of SunStar Cebu is a textbook example of how light criminal offenses are being weaponized to bypass constitutional rights and suppress public scrutiny. Wh

As the Marcos Jr. administration attempts to deceive the public by delivering a polished 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA), civil society organizations (CSOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), people’s organizations (POs), and human rights defenders, present the reality on the ground: the systematic chokehold on civic space continues to tighten, directly undermining the basic rights and livelihoods of the Filipino people. Behind the glossy rhetoric of “Bagong Pilip

Originally published on Gökay Akbulut - Mitglied des deutschen Bundestags As part of the German Bundestag programme “Parliamentarians Protect Parliamentarians”, I have applied to sponsor Philippine human rights defender Jazmin “Minet” Jerusalem. Jazmin Jerusalem is the Executive Director of the Leyte Center for Development and Empowerment. For decades, the organisation has supported poor, marginalised and disaster-affected communities on the islands of Leyte and Samar. It pro

03 July 2026—Today is the 6th year implementation of the Duterte regime’s Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). This marks six years of systematic weaponization of the law—facilitating the criminalization of human rights and development work. Alongside the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act (TFPSA), the ATA has been used to freeze assets (intended for community-oriented needs/services), block humanitarian missions, and place grassroots organizers and ordinary citizens und

A Statement of Support to the Anti-Mining Community in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya The Council for People's Development and Governance (CPDG) and Defend NGOs Alliance welcome the dismissal of the forcible entry case filed against Bishop Elmer Mangalinao, Fr. Christian Dumangeng, and several members of the community of Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, on 24 June 2026. Furthermore, CPDG and Defend NGOs support the barricades and people's collective action against the mining exploration of Nort