The Cordillera Peoples Alliance asks the Supreme court to lift the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s freeze order against the group.  MANILA – The Cordillera Peoples Alliance has asked the Supreme Court to lift a freeze order issued against the group by the Anti-Money Laundering Council last year.

The group filed a petition for review on certiorari with application for a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction against the order of the AMLC. 

CPA Secretary General Bestang Dekdeken said the freeze order affected the operations of the group in their fight against large-scale mining and construction of dams. 

“Halimbawa, tuwing may typhoons o kaya mga natural disasters, kasama kami sa mga immediately nagre-respond sa communities, so ito lang ang isa sa mga programa naming nawala ngayon dahil doon sa freezing ng bank accounts, hindi na kami makatanggap ng pondo,” Dekdeken said.

In its petition, the group asked the SC to conduct oral arguments so they can prove that provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 are unconstitutional.

The CPA argued that the provisions of the laws pertaining to the AMLC’s authorization to issue freeze orders based on the two laws are unconstitutional.

In July 2023, CPA Chairperson Windel Bolinget and four other members were tagged as terrorists by the Anti-Terrorism Council. 

4 Cordillera activists challenge terror-tag, constitutionality of Anti-Terrorism Act

The group maintains that its officers and members are not involved in terror activities.

“Muli kami ay naninindigan na wala kaming ginagawang acts of terror or terrorism acts upang kami ay sabihang mga terorista,” Dekdeken said.