The Philippine government has frozen the bank accounts of a church organization critical of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration for “probable cause,” alleging they are “related to terrorism financing.”
UCA News reports that the government’s Anti-Money Laundering Council ordered a 20-day freeze on three of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines’ accounts with the Bank of the Philippine Islands.
In December 2019, the AMLC also ordered the bank to submit details of related bank accounts and proposed the filing of a petition before the Court of Appeals to extend the freeze order to six months.
In a statement, the RMP expressed its “utmost dismay” with the council, saying that the decision “greatly encumbers our mission to collectively witness and act as Christ’s disciples with the rural poor.”
“We vehemently deny involvement in any form of financing terrorism,” it said. “Donations and funding received by the RMP are used to implement projects and programs to help the marginalized and oppressed. In contrast to the government’s false narrative, RMP has delivered much-needed services to rural communities across the country for 50 years. We have our mission and community partners to confirm this.”
The group, established on Aug. 15, 1969, as a mission partner of the Association of Major Religious Superiors, said it has been repeatedly accused by government security officials of having links with communist rebels.
“We’ve been accused of being a communist and terrorist front. Our members have been harassed and threatened, forcing some of them to seek sanctuary elsewhere,” read the group’s statement.
SOURCE: Christian Post, Leah MarieAnn Klett
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