BAGUIO CITY — After hurdling five criminal charges and being designated as a terrorist by the government, Cordillera activist Sarah Abellon-Alikes now faces alleged violation of the Terrorism Financing and Suppression Act of 2012 (RA 10168). 

Documents obtained on Monday, December 2, revealed that state prosecutors charged Alikes under Section 8 of RA 10168, which prohibits transactions involving property or funds linked to designated persons or groups. The penalty for this violation includes 20 to 40 years of imprisonment and a fine ranging from P500,000 to P1,000,000. 

The charge stems from claims that Alikes provided financial and logistical support to New People’s Army (NPA) members, who allegedly burned two Philex Mining Corporation trucks in February 2017. Authorities based their case on the testimony of an alleged former rebel who claimed direct involvement in the attack. 

Also implicated in the case is James Capuyan, owner of a transient house and vehicle allegedly used by rebels.

Prosecutors said that the witness’ testimony carried weight due to his “personal knowledge of the incidents.” While Capuyan submitted a counter-affidavit contesting the allegations, Alikes reportedly failed to respond after being notified at her last known address, a claim the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) disputes. 

The CHRA has criticized the lack of due process in the case, pointing out that Alikes was allegedly notified at an address where she had never resided. The Department of Justice resolution noted her addressed in Brgy. Betwagan, Sadanga, Mountain Province more than 100 kilometers away from her registered residence in Brgy. Nayon, Lamut, Ifugao. 

‘Judicial harassment’

One of the five charges filed against Alikes between 2018 and 2023 also stemmed from the 2017 Philex incident. Arrested without a warrant in Baguio, she faced allegations of arson and robbery but was acquitted in 2018 by a Regional Trial Court in La Trinidad, Benguet, which ruled there was “absolutely nothing in the record” to implicate her. 

CHRA has called the latest charge, filed in March 2024, “another form of judicial harassment.” 

In June 2023, the Anti-Terrorism Council designated Alikes and three other Cordillera Peoples Alliance leaders as terrorists, following an Abra court’s dismissal of a rebellion case against them. The designation is currently being contested in court. 

Alikes is the daughter of the late Bishop Richard Abellon, the first prime bishop of the Episcopal Church of the Philippines, who led the Diocese of Northern Luzon during the resistance against the Chico Dam project. 

Alikes and Capuyan are the fifth and sixth individuals charged with terrorism financing in Northern Luzon, following similar cases against a storekeeper in Mountain Province, and an elderly lay worker in Ilocos and two trustees of the Baguio-based non-profit Katinnulong Daguiti ti Umili ti Amianan, Inc. (KADUAMI).

CHRA views these charges as part of a government strategy to exit the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) greylist by targeting activists and non-profits with fabricated accusations. 

“This approach is being pursued without regard for the human rights of its constituents, reflecting a troubling trend where state actions prioritize political objectives over fundamental rights and freedoms,” the group said.