Group assails ‘trumped up’ terrorism raps vs 2 Zamboanga Sibugay pastors

DAVAO CITY — Human rights group Karapatan assails the filing of financial terrorism charges against two pastors of the United Methodist Church (UMC) in Zamboanga Sibugay who merely provided sanctuary to two persons who claimed their lives were under threat.

Grecian T. Asoy, spokesperson of Karapatan in Southern Mindanao, said the complaint filed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) against Rev. Julius Neri Camannong, superintendent of the United Methodist Church (UMC) in Zamboanga Peninsula and Rev. Joel Ordaneza, UMC administrative pastor of Balingasan village of Siay town in the province in December last year had no basis and was completely “trumped up” as the pastors were merely providing sanctuary to two people who claimed their lives were in danger.

The Inquirer has been trying to reach the CIDG in Zamboanga del Sur for this story but has yet to receive a reply.

Asoy said that early in January last year, two persons traveled from Midsayap town in Cotabato province to seek sanctuary at the UMC in Zamboanga Sibugay. They were recommended by friends of the two pastors, who immediately opened their church premises to help the two persons in need.

But according to Karapatan, Nelson Bautista Jr., one of the two persons who asked for sanctuary, later “concocted” a story before the CIDG, which helped in the filing of trumped up charges of financial terrorism against the two pastors and driver-for-hire Romeo A. Russel before the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Prosecutors’ Office.

Asoy said the two pastors barely knew Bautista, who was merely recommended by the pastors’ friend for sanctuary.

He added that the complaint against the pastors and driver-for-hire for alleged violation of Republic Act 10168 or the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012, formed “part of the administration’s policy to persecute church workers.”

The three filed their counter affidavits before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office on January 9 (not December 9 last year), praying for the case to be dropped.

In their counter affidavit, the two pastors said they did not spend anything on the two persons but only provided sanctuary as part of the church’s role to people in need.

“This series of terrorist financing charges targeting church workers and individuals is outrageous,” said Asoy in a statement.

“The Marcos Jr. regime would rather waste its time and resources on persecuting church workers and individuals even as the country has yet to recover from being buffeted by economic hardships,” he added.

Karapatan also slammed what they called the administration’s “relentless hostility” towards church workers, individual and human rights, and peace advocates and demanded a stop to the arbitrary filing of trumped-up terrorist financing cases against them.