Innocent people declared guilty
The Philippines’ financial elite and their political cronies, with elements in the DOJ as their instruments, “scapegoat” suspects to get off the gray list and stay off it. After all this sudden and frantic filing of terror-financing charges and convictions in 2025 and 2026, the FATF removed the Philippines from the gray list in February 2025.
These convictions were surely encouraged by the tycoons and their political lackeys to escape the task force’s watchful monitors.
The government is increasingly using the law to silence community workers and journalists. The outcry over the injustice of these alleged frame-ups and convictions has been widespread. “Frenchie’s case is significant globally and emblematic of the challenges faced by journalists worldwide,” says Beh Lih Yi of the Committee to Protect Journalists in a briefing at the University of the Philippines Diliman on Jan. 20, 2026.
Five UN special rapporteurs, including Khan and Ben Saul, called Cumpio’s conviction “deeply troubling” and urged the court to grant bail during the appeal process.
Reporters Without Borders denounced the verdict as a “devastating failure” of the Philippine justice system, noting that its own investigations found that the accusations were inconsistent and that the conviction showed a “blatant disregard for press freedom.”
The International Press Institute condemned the “sham trial” and called for Cumpio’s immediate release, noting that she was held without trial for six years in pretrial detention. We note that justice in some courts does not move at all.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said the conviction “does not bode well” for the media’s ability to report without reprisal. They described the acquittal on firearms charges as only a “partial victory” and vowed to continue the fight.
The organization Altermidya expressed outrage over “glaring evidence of fabricated charges” and warned the verdict deepens a “climate of impunity.”
Human rights alliance Karapatan told the media that the conviction was a “deliberate plot” to punish those engaging in journalism and humanitarian work, claiming the court treated “lies as proof.”
And the National Union of People’s Lawyers said the case sent an “unmistakable message” that legitimate civic activity could now be recast by the authorities as terrorism financing.
Not all money launderers get convicted, especially government officials. We recall the case of a retired police officer who served as the comptroller of the Philippine National Police (PNP). On Oct. 11, 2008, he, his wife, and seven police generals were intercepted at Moscow’s international airport by customs personnel, who found 105,000 euros (approximately P6.9 million then) in their carry-on bags.
The Russian authorities confiscated the money. The seven police officers with him were part of a delegation of eight senior PNP officers — dubbed the “euro generals” by the media — returning that day from an Interpol conference in Saint Petersburg. They were primarily accused of money smuggling and laundering stolen money from the PNP intelligence fund. This was reduced to violating currency declaration laws, as the amount far exceeded the $10,000 (roughly 7,400 euros) limit allowed without declaration.
From 2008, the court hearings were delayed for 14 years. Finally, in October 2022, the Sandiganbayan found the general guilty of violating Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas rules regarding the declaration of foreign currency when he was leaving the Philippines and ordered him to pay a P200,000 fine. His wife was acquitted for lack of evidence.
The other generals all walked free and were not charged with money laundering.
However, a critical journalist and a church worker doing legitimate work, safeguarding the truth and helping the poor, were convicted and got up to 18 years in prison. If that is not a travesty of Philippine justice, what is?/PN
