Marcos Jr admin sacrificing NGOs to exit FATF “grey list”

The Defend NGOs Alliance denounced increasing judicial attacks on NGOs and people’s organizations (POs) under the Marcos Jr administration. This is attributed to the government’s efforts to exit the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) “grey list.” The network warned that the worsening attacks against NGOs undermines democracy and community development.

At least 69 development workers and 29 NGOs or networks in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are being harassed with spurious charges related to terrorism. Most of these trumped-up complaints and cases have been lodged during the Marcos Jr administration with 49 development workers from seven (7) organizations since July 2022.

Fifty-eight (58) individuals from 20 organizations are baselessly accused of financing or otherwise supporting terrorism. Another four (4) NGO workers from two (2) organizations are absurdly charged with engaging government soldiers in firefights or ambushing a security guard. Another seven (7) from two (2) organizations have been outrightly designated as terrorists.

“Attacks on social development NGOs are worsening under Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr’s watch,” says Jazmin Jerusalem, spokesperson of the alliance and Executive Director of the Leyte Center for Development (LCde). “The government is judicially harassing more development workers and organizations with weaponized anti-terrorism measures than the previous Duterte administration,” says Jerusalem. “This disrupts relief, livelihood and social services for millions of beneficiaries nationwide.”

New research by the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) and Council for People’s Development and Governance (CPDG) says that the Philippine government uses FATF-compliance frameworks to justify restrictive measures against NGOs it sees as critical of the government under the guise of counter-terrorism. More stringent restrictions and regulations on NGOs disrupt their finances, operations and services. The research also points out that trumped-up cases are for “paper compliance” to meet arbitrary quotas for exiting the FATF “grey list.”

The FATF is an international body whose 40 Recommendations set international standards to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism for member countries to adopt. Countries that fail to comply risk being placed on FATF’s “grey list” and subject to “increased monitoring” or its “black list” which can trigger severe economic and financial sanctions. The Philippine government has already passed many laws to comply.

Related to this, an official government document precisely about a so-called Project Exit Grey List has already surfaced. Katinnulong Daguiti Umili iti Amianan a Luzon (KADUAMI), a member of Defend NGOs, has approached the House of Representatives (HOR) Committee on Human Rights. House Resolution No. 2093 has just been filed to investigate fabricated cases against them which is seen as in compliance with “Project Exit Grey List” to meet arbitrary quotas.

The Defend NGOs Alliance was started in May 2024 and held its first national gathering today. The nationwide alliance and its 105 members to date includes among the country’s largest and longest-running civil society networks. It calls on the Philippine government to stop attacking NGOs and peoples’ organizations and recognize their essential contributions to community and national development. ###

Reference: Jazmin Jerusalem, Defend NGOs Spokesperson

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