Lawyers from the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) have rejected allegations of government harassment in a case involving four Cordilleran activists who are contesting their designation as terrorists. The activists argue that the declaration is unlawful and unconstitutional.
During questioning before the Baguio Regional Trial Court (RTC), OSG lawyers sought to establish that the individuals accused of threatening and harassing the activists had no proven ties to the government.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court (SC) ruled that only the Court of Appeals has jurisdiction over cases related to the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 2020 (Republic Act No. 10592). However, since guidelines for this ruling were enforced after Judge Marietta Dulay-Archog assumed jurisdiction over the activists’ complaints, the Baguio RTC was allowed to hear the case.
The activists, members of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) — Chairperson Windel Bolinget, Sarah Abellon-Alikes, Jennifer Awingan-Taggaoa, and Stephen Tauli — have gone to court to challenge the constitutionality of the ATA. This case is separate from another pending before the SC, which concerns the unfreezing of the CPA’s assets following the activists’ designation as terrorists.
During the hearing, OSG lawyers questioned Abellon-Alikes on whether the alleged harassers were definitively linked to the government. They also pointed to the CPA’s continued social media activity, which includes criticism of the government, as evidence that freedom of speech had not been suppressed. Additionally, they argued that the lack of criminal charges filed against the activists, despite their terrorist designation, indicated an absence of government harassment.
Bolinget testified that while government or law enforcement personnel had not explicitly prevented him from leaving his home, the designation of “terrorist” instilled fear and caused harm to his family, as it effectively labeled him an enemy of the state. He described the declaration as “the worst thing to happen” in his life.
