‘FREE FRENCHIE’: Global groups demand release of detained Filipino journalist

By Juliane Judilla

Media watchdogs and international nongovernment organizations have intensified calls for the release of detained community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and lay worker Marielle Domequil ahead of a court ruling on their motion for reconsideration set for March 23.

A judge is scheduled to rule on the defense’s motion seeking reconsideration of Cumpio’s conviction for alleged “financing terrorism,” as well as a separate motion requesting her release on bail.

A coalition of local and international press freedom groups said the case underscores broader concerns about the criminalization of journalism and called for her immediate release.

Cumpio, alongside Domequil, was arrested in 2020 in a joint police and military raid in which authorities claimed to have recovered firearms and grenades from her residence.

She has denied the allegations, testifying that the evidence was planted and that she and her co-accused were ordered to turn away during the police search, preventing them from witnessing the operation.

Although the weapons charges were later dismissed, they were used to justify her extended pretrial detention.

On Jan. 22, 2026, Cumpio was convicted of financing terrorism, an allegation that rights groups say has increasingly been used to target activists and journalists in the Philippines.

She faces a prison sentence of 12 to 18 years.

The Philippines’ Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, or Republic Act 11479, has been widely criticized by press freedom organizations and human rights groups for its broad definition of terrorism-related offenses, which they argue can be used to criminalize legitimate journalism, activism, and dissent.

At the time of her arrest, Cumpio was executive director of the Eastern Vista news website and a radio news anchor, reporting on alleged abuses by security forces and community welfare issues in Eastern Visayas.

Earlier this month, five United Nations experts, including Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights Ben Saul, described the conviction as “deeply troubling” and said Cumpio and her co-accused should, at a minimum, be granted bail pending appeal.

Her case has drawn sustained international attention.

In 2025, some 250 journalists worldwide called for her release, followed in 2026 by 90 journalists’ unions and associations urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to intervene.

Advocates say the case highlights the role of journalists in holding power to account.

United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan has also raised concerns about Cumpio’s prolonged pretrial detention and called for justice.

Khan visited Cumpio in prison in January 2024 during an official mission.

In May 2025, the case was included in the “10 Most Urgent” list compiled by the One Free Press Coalition.

The Philippines remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists and media workers. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, more than 100 journalists have been killed in the country since 1992, with a significant number of cases remaining unsolved.

The coalition campaigning for her release includes the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, AlterMidya, Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Free Press Unlimited.

The groups said they have closely monitored the case, raising concerns about Cumpio’s health and alleged violations of her legal rights.

In a joint statement, the coalition described the conviction as “a clear miscarriage of justice” and urged authorities to overturn the ruling.

“We call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to act without delay by freeing Frenchie Mae Cumpio and ending this injustice,” the coalition said.