The Citizen’s Disaster Response Center Foundation (CDRC) and Leyte Center for Development Enterprise, Inc. (LCDE) challenged the “freeze order” imposed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) on their bank accounts. The CDRC petitioned the Court of Appeals in Quezon City on June 2 while LCDE on May 17 in the same Cebu City court. They seek to have it removed and challenge the legality of the sanction which they said disregarded correct procedures and violated their rights for freedom of expression and association.

The CDRC and LCDe are just two of the countless progressive associations and development organizations arbitrarily sanctioned with similar “freeze orders” following accusations of “terrorism financing.”

This harassment is framed on the Marcos regime’s pronounced National Security Plan 2023-2028. It clearly states the policy to “intensify action against the accused legal fronts of the CPP-NPA-NDF to cut off… finance sources.” Anyone it designates having links with the revolutionary movement is arbitrarily and baselessly harassed.