The journalist was arrested and detained in 2020 for alleged illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
This statement was originally published on cmfr-phil.org on 18 November 2024.
FOUR YEARS after her arrest, journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio on November 11 took to the witness stand, finally able to defend herself. Cumpio, the executive director of Tacloban-based online news outlet Eastern Vista, was one of the five individuals, dubbed as “Tacloban 5”, who were arrested and detained in 2020 for illegal possession of firearms and explosives. She also faces a separate charge for terrorism financing.
Cumpio also hosted Eastern Vista’s radio program Lingganay han Kamatuoran (bell of truth), which airs on DYVL Aksyon Radyo. Eastern Vista is a member of the alternative media network AlterMidya.
The Philippine National Police and the Army’s 892nd Infantry Brigade took custody of Cumpio and her coaccused Mariel Domequil, Marissa Cabaljao, Mira Legion, and Alexander Philip Abinguna on February 7, 2020.
Testifying before Judge Georgina Perez of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 45 for more than an hour, Cumpio denied any affiliation with the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
She recounted the harrowing details of the violent raid on the rented house she shared with co-defendant Domequil; that police broke down the door of the house and entered without a warrant of arrest. They were forced to lie face down, where they could only see the boots of the officers as they moved through the room and placed in plain view items which were later used as evidence to file charges against her.
Cumpio emphasized that at the time of her arrest, she was employed by Eastern Vista. She presented as evidence her media ID and receipts of her compensation as a media worker.
“Free Frenchie”
Members of alternative media groups and rights advocates trooped to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday to renew their call for Cumpio’s release, highlighting the lack of credible evidence to support the accusations.
Len Olea, secretary general of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), described Cumpio’s testimony as “crucial for the dismissal of charges.” NUJP highlighted her arrest as a “clear example” of the dangers of “red-tagging” in the country. Journalists who are labeled “subversive” or even “terrorist” for covering sensitive topics eventually face harassment, arrest or detention.
Cumpio joins the list of journalists who suffered harassment and false charges during the Duterte administration, among them, Anne Krueger and Lady Ann Salem.
The International Association of Women in Radio and Television reiterated that Cumpio, who is now 25 years old, is the world’s youngest journalist in prison. Meanwhile, Reporters without Borders (RSF) said that Cumpio’s case reflects a broader climate of intimidation aimed at curbing independent reporting in the Philippines. RSF stated that the Philippines ranks 134th out of 180 countries in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index.
Last January in her official visit in the Philippines, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan expressed her concern to government officials over the length of time that Cumpio’s case has taken in court. On the same day of her testimony, Khan said in a statement that for a long period “this young woman has been left to languish in detention. That itself raises serious questions about the fairness of the process.”
“The arrest and criminal charges, following months of “red-tagging”, surveillance, intimidation and harassment, appear to have been filed in retaliation for her work as a journalist,” the Special Rapporteur added.
Cumpio is set to take the witness stand again on January 13, 2025.
