CSOs call for dismissal of the civil forfeiture case against Jazmin Jerusalem and the release of LCDe funds

Defend NGOs Alliance
Apr 15
2 min read

The Defend NGOs Alliance strongly appeal the dropping of the civil forfeiture case filed against Ms. Jazmin Jerusalem and other staff of the Leyte Center for Development, Inc. (LCDe) as well as the release of LCDe’s funds including their personal funds that were frozen under the Provisional Asset Preservation Order (PAPO) by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

To recall, last February 20, the Regional Trial Court of Manila, Branch 28, has already lifted the Provisional Asset Preservation Order (PAPO) and has denied the government’s request for an Asset Preservation Order (APO) in the civil forfeiture case involving LCDe. The rulings found the petition unable to provide substantial evidence linking LCDe’s bank accounts and transactions to unlawful activity under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) and the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act (TFPSA). But despite the court order that lifted the freezing of LCDe’s accounts, the AMLC continues to hold LCDe’s funds and the petition for civil forfeiture has not been dismissed. This Thursday, April 16, Ms. Jerusalem is set for pre-trial at the Regional Trial Court of Manila, Branch 28 on the civil forfeiture case.

LCDe has been operating in Eastern Visayas where they work in assisting communities affected by disasters. Freezing LCDe’s funds adversely affected their development and humanitarian assistance for communities in dire need of help especially in times of calamities. LCDe’s services include relief, rehabilitation and disaster risk preparedness all of which have been disrupted by the unfounded judicial cases made against them.

The Defend NGOs Alliance stands in solidarity with Ms. Jerusalem and LCDe in their fight against terrorist labeling and injustice including the psychological stress they are made to suffer in the long years the trumped up cases have dragged on.

Defend NGOs reminds the Philippine government of its commitment to enable and strengthen civic spaces; recognize CSOs as development actors as it concluded the 4th monitoring round of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC). LCDe and Ms. Jerusalem has been recognized locally and internationally for their invaluable contribution to community development, the decades of humanitarian work that served about 1.3 million people in Eastern Visayas.

Defend NGOs hold that the attack on LCDe, on Ms. Jerusalem is part of a broader pattern of repression wherein counterterrorism laws and corresponding financial sanctions are being misused and abused to silence development workers and prevent communities in asserting their rights to development and democratic governance.

As the country continues to face crisis after crisis, the Filipino people should not be made to cope with both an unresponsive government and state attacks that undermine their rights. Defend NGOs emphasize the legitimacy of development work and that the Filipino people deserve better governance and support. Attacks on development workers, attacks on NGOs are attacks on the people’s right to development.#