Justice Prevails: People Win Legal Victory vs Terrorism

January 22, 2026

The Filipino people have won a decisive legal victory against terrorism and those who finance it, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) declared Thursday.

In a landmark affirmation of the rule of law, the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 45 of Tacloban City, an anti-terrorism designated court, has convicted Frenchie Mae Cumpio and Marielle Domequil for Terrorism Financing under Republic Act No. 10168, while acquitting them of the separate charge of illegal possession of firearms and explosives—proving that justice is neither blind to facts nor captive to propaganda.

“The court has spoken. Justice has been fairly dispensed with—based on evidence, not noise, not ideology, and not propaganda,” said NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Usec. Ernesto C. Torres Jr.

The ruling, rendered by Presiding Judge Georgina Perez, was hailed by the Task Force as a victory not just for the State or any institution, but for the Filipino people and their collective right to be protected from terrorism and its financial lifelines.

Torres stressed that the verdict demonstrated how the justice system works when due process is allowed to run its full course.

“This decision is a clear affirmation that our justice system is working exactly as it should—independently, impartially, and anchored on due process and evidence,” he said.

Torres rejected claims by some groups that the case was “manufactured” or politically motivated.

“This case did not arise from thin air. It was built on sworn testimonies, financial evidence, and material facts that demonstrated the deliberate handling and facilitation of funds for a terrorist organization,” he pointed out.

He emphasized that this conduct falls squarely within what the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act criminalizes: the act of providing, collecting, or channeling resources for groups designated as terrorists.

Torres also emphasized that the acquittal of Cumpio and Domequil on the illegal possession charge only reinforced the credibility and independence of the judiciary.

“The same court that acquitted them of one charge convicted them of another after full trial. That alone demolishes the false narrative that the courts are mere rubber stamps for the State or instruments of political persecution,” he said.

“This shows judicial independence. The court separated what was not proven from what was proven beyond reasonable doubt," he added.

Responding to claims that the conviction was an attack on press freedom, church work, or human rights advocacy, Torres was blunt.

“Let us be clear: terrorism financing is not journalism. It is not church work. It is not human rights advocacy. No one is being convicted for dissent. No one is being punished for free speech. They were convicted for financing a terrorist organization—plain and simple," he further stressed.

The NTF-ELCAC official added: “You do not launder terror funds and then hide behind press freedom or the Bible."

Torres also dismissed assertions that the ruling was meant to intimidate journalists and human rights workers, branding it as "a lie meant to shield criminal liability with moral blackmail."

“Terrorism financing is a crime in every civilized country. If this case were tried in the United States, Europe, or Japan, the result would be no different,” he noted.

He also rejected insinuations that the judiciary was being weaponized by the State, stressing that such irreslonsible allegations "is an insult to the integrity of our courts and to Judge Georgina Perez, who decided this case based on law and evidence—not on slogans, street pressure, or international lobbying."

Torres said the proper remedy for those who disagree with the ruling is to seek redress through the courts.

“The remedy for those who disagree with this ruling is appeal—not incitement, not international propaganda, and not delegitimizing the justice system,” he said.

He concluded by framing the verdict as a victory for the rule of law itself.

“The court has spoken. Justice has been fairly dispensed with. The Filipino people believe in the rule of law, and today, that rule of law has prevailed. The Filipino people won today—not just the State, not the military, not NTF-ELCAC.

The real victor here is justice," Torres further said.

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