Four leaders of the Cordillera Peoples’ Alliance (CPA) filed an appeal at the Baguio City Regional Trial Court (RTC) on June 1, 2026, contesting the court’s earlier dismissal of their challenge to their terrorist designation.
This appeal comes after the RTC’s April 30, 2026, decision to deny the petition from CPA Chairperson Windel Bolinget, founding member Sarah Alikes, Research Commission member Jennifer Taggaoa, and Regional Council member Stephen Tauli, who sought to overturn their terrorist designation.
Government authorities designated the activists as terrorists on June 7, 2023, alleging connections to the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA). They invoked the 2020 Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) to support the move, but the activists refute the accusations and stress their work for indigenous rights.
Only when their families’ and CPA’s bank accounts were frozen in July 2023 did they learn about their terrorist designation.
RTC Judge Hilario Belmes noted that the ATA allows authorities to designate and investigate individuals without prior notification.
“This court decision is another injustice, further institutionalizing the persecution of activists with impunity,” Bolinget said in a statement. “The decision will intensify and legalize violations of our constitutional rights and human rights,” he added.
Local and international human rights groups denounced the ruling, warning it endangers activists’ safety and legitimate advocacy, and exposes them to surveillance, harassment, and criminal liability.
The CPA case highlights what rights groups call a broader trend: the use of anti-terror laws to intimidate and criminalize activists and indigenous leaders advocating for human rights.
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers notes that the main concern is whether the nation’s constitutional framework will accept a permanent system of repression, justified as counterterrorism but missing critical protections, due process, and judicial review.
Despite risks, the activists have secured some legal wins: In May 2026, a court in La Trinidad, Benguet ordered a former police chief to pay damages to Bolinget for a “shoot-to-kill” order issued after a now-dismissed murder case.
The CPA assailed the shoot-to-kill order, saying it showed the police’s intent to silence and kill Bolinget because they knew that the fabricated murder charge would not hold merit in a court of law.
The Indigenous People’s group Katribu welcomed the court’s decision, noting that it adds to the growing recognition that so-called “red-tagging” is a dangerous and harmful practice. The practice of “red-tagging” means the labelling of individuals or organizations as supporters or members of the CPP-NPA or as “terrorist.”
Meanwhile, community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and church worker Marielle Domequil were moved to the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) in Manila following medical examinations conducted on April 22, 2026.
The transfer, carried out under strict security and without prior notification to their families, has made family visits more difficult and costly, as both women are originally from Tacloban.
The court convicted Cumpio and Domequil of terrorism financing to 12-18 years of imprisonment.
Their legal counsel has filed a petition with the Court of Appeals, arguing that the denial of their bail was unjust and based only on questionable testimonies from ex-rebels.
Cumpio has received significant recognition, including the 2026 Wallis Annenberg Justice for Women Award and nominations for UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Prize, drawing attention to press freedom and judicial fairness concerns in the Philippines.
Photo © Karapatan