ILOILO City – Western Visayas is fast emerging as a model in the country’s intensified crackdown on terrorism financing, thanks to a string of well-built cases and a recent conviction that prosecutors say demonstrate how local law enforcement can effectively disrupt the financial lifelines of communist insurgents.
While national attention centered on the Philippines’ recent removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) gray list, legal and security officials in the region pointed to a less-discussed victory: the maturing capacity of local institutions to prosecute terrorism-related crimes.
Prosecutor II Flosemer Chris Gonzalez of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) revealed that Western Visayas had filed 17 terrorism financing cases — one of which already led to a conviction.
These cases, he said, underscore not just compliance with international standards, but a growing expertise in tackling insurgency through the justice system.
“This is proof that when intelligence and legal teams work together, we can pierce through the veil of underground networks that sustain terrorist activities,” said Gonzalez, who also chairs the Joint Focus Legal Action Team (JFLAT).
The conviction of a member of the Komiteng Rehiyon Panay’s taxation unit in Kalibo, Aklan last year was a landmark moment. Caught during an entrapment operation, the accused pleaded guilty to terrorism financing after years of extorting local businesses and politicians.
In Negros Occidental, 10 cases have been filed against five individuals — three of whom are now out on bail, while two remain elusive. Aklan followed with six more cases against three suspects.
Law enforcers credit the momentum to consistent surveillance and rigorous evidence-building.
“We now see that effective legal action is possible, even in regions traditionally plagued by red-tagging and fear,” said Colonel Gilbert Gorero of the Police Regional Office 6.
Gorero noted, however, that progress remains dependent on public cooperation.
“We still need witnesses and testimonies. More cases can be filed, even in Iloilo and other provinces, if people come forward,” he added./PN
