The Tacloban Regional Trial Court (RTC) has dismissed a charge of three counts of terrorism financing against Jazmin Jerusalem, executive director of the Leyte Center for Development and Empowerment (LCDE).
In a decision dated February 27, 2026, Presiding Judge Georgina Uy Perez of RTC Branch 45 described the prosecution’s case as “fatally flawed.”
Jerusalem had been accused of providing funds and goods to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People’s Army (NPA) in 2013, 2014, and 2016. However, the court found that at the time of the alleged offenses, the CPP-NPA had not yet been formally designated as terrorist organizations in the Philippines.
The ruling stressed that without the Department of Foreign Affairs’ official publication designating the CPP-NPA as terrorist organizations, the alleged offenses from 2013 to 2016 attributed to Jerusalem have no legal basis.
Proclamation No. 374, which officially designated the CPP-NPA as terrorist organizations, was only published on December 5, 2017.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed the complaint against Jerusalem in November 2024 based on former rebels’ affidavits. Jerusalem earlier dismissed the allegations as “full of lies.”
On February 20, 2026, Regional Trial Court Branch 128 in Tacloban also ruled in case on a freezing order against Jerusalem and LCDE that authorities failed to prove that LCDE’s bank accounts and financial transactions were linked to unlawful activities.
Despite the ruling, civil society groups say the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) continues to hold the organization’s funds. Defend NGOs Alliance Visayas is calling for the immediate release of LCDE’s frozen assets, saying the continued freeze is disrupting programs that provide development and humanitarian assistance to marginalized communities.
The court also denied the AMLC’s request for an asset preservation order, effectively removing the legal basis for the continued freezing of the organization’s funds.
According to the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), which represents LCDE and its staff, the court cited gaps in the financial investigation, including an unreconciled timeline, the absence of reliable proof of alleged organizational links, and the failure to meaningfully examine the NGO’s legitimate work and funding sources.
In a press statement, NUPL warned that freezing LCDE’s funds and halting its operations would undermine public interest by disrupting humanitarian aid, disaster risk reduction, and rehabilitation efforts for underserved and disaster-prone communities in Eastern Visayas.
Despite the favorable rulings in February 2026, Jerusalem faces another hearing on April 16 on a civil forfeiture case, which was filed against her in November 2025.
Under Jerusalem’s leadership, LCDE has supported communities affected by natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization has received recognition from the Regional Development Council, the National Anti-Poverty Commission, and the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Jerusalem has also received international recognition, including being named an International Climate Heroine by the German government in 2017 and receiving a disaster risk reduction leadership award from UN Women in 2021.
Photo © Raffy Lerma