The international coalition of press freedom NGOs welcomes the
decision of the Laoang Regional Trial Court Branch 21 to grant the motion to quash the
baseless murder charge filed against community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio. This
ruling marks a significant step forward after years of relentless campaigning for her release.
On top of two other charges, Cumpio was facing accusation of participating in an ambush
that killed two soldiers; these claims were revealed to be flimsy as an investigation has
shown.
Earlier this week, the Court of Appeals (CA) dismissed the civil forfeiture case against
Cumpio of the seizure of nearly $10,000 in a ruling that the court found no evidence linking
her to terrorist groups.
With these positive developments, the coalition renewed its call for the remaining charges of
illegal firearms possession and financing terrorism against Cumpio to be dropped
immediately. Cumpio has been detained for almost six years even though she has not been
convicted of any crime, a grave injustice and a blatant violation of her rights.
The coalition, including the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and AlterMidya
in Manila, along with global press freedom organizations Reporters Without Borders (RSF),
the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and Free Press Unlimited (FPU), has repeatedly
raised concerns about Cumpio’s physical condition and violations of her legal rights.
Detained for nearly six years,, Cumpio’s case raises serious concerns over prolonged pretrial
detention and allegations that authorities planted the weapons that led to her arrest. The
26-year-old journalist has been behind bars since she was arrested in February 2020, along
with four human rights defenders. As executive director of the Eastern Vista news website
and a radio news anchor, Cumpio frequently covered alleged police and military abuses as
well as community welfare issues prior to her arrest.
Cumpio’s trial is nearing its conclusion, with the promulgation of judgment in the illegal
firearms possession case set for January 22, 2026. The resolution for the Formal Offer of
Evidence of the defense in the terrorism financing case is still pending. She faces a maximum
sentence of 40 years in prison.
“We welcome the quashing of the trumped-up murder case against Frenchie Mae Cumpio,
but emphasize that full justice will only be served if the community journalist is
immediately released from prison and all remaining charges against her are dropped. We
urge the Philippine authorities to ensure her prompt release and to uphold their
commitment to press freedom.” – #FreeFrenchieMaeCumpio Coalition
Spokespeople are available for interviews in English/Filipino:
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (Manila): Jonathan De Santos,
[email protected]
AlterMidya (People’s Alternative Media Network, Manila): Rhea Padilla,
[email protected]
Reporters Without Borders (Taipei/Paris): Aleksandra Bielakowska, [email protected]
Committee to Protect Journalists (Frankfurt/New York): Beh Lih Yi, [email protected];
[email protected]
Free Press Unlimited (Amsterdam): Jos Bartman [email protected]
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