The recent FATF Plenary has removed the Philippines from its list of Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring, commonly known as the 'grey list.' This decision follows the country’s completion of its Action Plan to address strategic deficiencies in anti-money laundering (AML) and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT). While the FATF acknowledged the Philippines’ progress, it also emphasized the need to ensure that "CFT measures are appropriately applied, particularly the identification and prosecution of TF cases, and are neither discouraging nor disrupting legitimate NPO activity."

Ahead of the FATF Plenary Session, a report by the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) and the Council for People’s Development and Governance (CPDG) was submitted to the FATF outlining the harm caused by the Philippine government’s efforts to exit the grey list. The report details how compliance with FATF recommendations, such as the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, has allowed the use of CFT measures to suppress dissent and restrict legitimate non-profit activity. As the Philippines moves forward, the challenge remains to ensure that its CFT framework does not come at the expense of human rights and civic freedoms.

Read the full report here.