Murder charge against Filipino community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio dropped

The NUJ has joined the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in calling for the immediate release of Frenchie Mae Cumpio and the cessation of all baseless charges against her.

A court in the Philippines has dismissed a murder charge against jailed community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio.

Cumpio was arrested on February 7 2020 alongside four human rights activists, who have become known as the ‘Tacloban 5’, in a series of police raids and has been in detention since.

On November 6, the Laoang Regional Trial Court Branch 21 rejected Cumpio’s murder charge, which alleged she joined an ambush against state forces in 2019, due to the “glaring disparity and difference regarding the identity of the person named in the complaint and the person arrested”. The complaint was addressed to someone called Frenchie Armando Cupio, whom the court agreed was not the same person as the detained journalist.

There was more positive news too for Cumpio as in a separate hearing on October 29, the Court of Appeals reversed  a previous lower court decision that froze Cumpio’s bank account and obliged her and jailed human rights activist Mariel Domequil to pay a combined sum of PHP 500,000 (approx. $8,500) on charges of ‘terrorist financing’. 

The appeal court found no evidence linking Cumpio to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) or its military arm, the New People’s Army (NPA), stating that, “measures to counter terrorism must not be done without due process, and at the expense of individuals, groups and civil society organisations that are engaged in the promotion and defence of human rights.”

Her plight was the subject of an early day motion in the UK Parliament in October 2024, which called for her release and said it, “believes that the evidential basis for her arrest was fabricated, and that she is innocent of the charges; considers that the treatment of Cumpio is an attempt to silence messengers of truth and a clear violation of press freedom.”

The EDM was backed by sponsors including John McDonnell MP and said that it, “fears that this represents a direct assault against Eastern Vista, which Cumpio heads as executive director, for its role in highlighting the issues of the marginalised and oppressed sectors in Eastern Visayas region, particularly the continuing plight of Yolanda victims, and the militarisation of farmers’ communities, among others.”

However Cumpio still faces two remaining allegations of terrorism financing and illegal possession of firearms. Her trial on charges of the latter is set to conclude in January 2026, with no date set for the second ‘terrorist financing’ case. 

If convicted, Cumpio will face between six to 12 years in prison according to the Philippines’ firearm regulations and up to 40 years under the Anti-Terrorism Act 2020.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said: 

“These court victories are a testament to the courage of Frenchie, their lawyers and the community that supports them in the face of dubious cases based on questionable testimony. We are resolved to continue the campaign to free Frenchie and ensure that this misuse of the law will not happen to other journalists, activists and rights defenders.”

The NUJ joins the IFJ and NUJP in calling for her release.

The IFJ said: 

“While Frenchie Mae Cumpio continues to languish in jail, the court’s decision in these two cases reinforces their baseless nature as transparent attempts to persecute independent, critical journalism. IFJ continues to stand in solidarity with all targeted journalists and the wider Filipino media community. Cumpio must be immediately released, and all remaining charges must be dropped unconditionally.”

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