NUPL welcomes denial of asset preservation order vs. Leyte Center for Development and Empowerment and its officers
We reiterate that the weaponization of terror laws and financial sanctions as tools of repression, even under the pretext of complying with Financial Action Task Force recommendations, has no place in a democratic society.
February 25, 2026
NUPL
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers is a nationwide voluntary association of human rights lawyers in the Philippines, committed to the defense, protection, and promotion of human rights, especially of the poor and the oppressed.

PRESS STATEMENT
21 February 2026

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) welcomes the court ruling lifting the Provisional Asset Preservation Order (PAPO) and denying the government’s request for an Asset Preservation Order (APO) in the civil forfeiture case involving the Leyte Center for Development and Empowerment (LCDE), its Executive Director Jazmin Aguisanda-Jerusalem, and its officers, who are clients of NUPL.

The order, issued yesterday by the Regional Trial Court of Manila, Branch 28, affirms that asset-freezing measures cannot rest on conjecture or unsupported allegations, but must be grounded on competent evidence establishing probable cause. As the ruling noted, the petition failed to credibly link the questioned bank accounts and transactions to unlawful activity under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) and the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act (TFPSA). The court likewise pointed to serious 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 legitimate nature of the NGO’s work and funding sources.

The denial of the APO underscores our clients’ firm and categorical repudiation of fabricated accusations of terrorism financing, which have been used to intimidate and stigmatize legitimate development and humanitarian initiatives.

LCDE works with communities in Eastern Visayas, including underserved and neglected areas repeatedly devastated by disasters. Freezing its funds and disrupting its operations do not serve the public interest. Instead, such measures threaten to disrupt humanitarian assistance, disaster risk reduction, and rehabilitation efforts for communities with the least access to basic services and protection.

While we welcome the lifting of the PAPO and the denial of the APO, we note that the petition was not dismissed and the case has been set for pre-trial and trial on the merits. NUPL will continue to represent LCDE, Ms. Aguisanda-Jerusalem, and the other respondents, and will vigorously defend their rights and the legitimacy of their work. ###

Reference:

Atty. Josalee S. Deinla
NUPL Secretary General
+639174316396

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