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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