📷: Media groups, church members, and relatives rally outside the Redemptorist Church in Tacloban City on Jan. 21, 2026, urging the release of journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and lay worker Marielle Domequil ahead of the court’s promulgation of charges against them. ((RV/Kodao Productions)
Press freedom advocates urged the dismissal of charges against detained journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio as the Tacloban Regional Trial Court prepares to hand down its ruling on two cases filed against her on January 22.
In a statement, the Altermidya Network said Cumpio’s six-year detention without conviction highlights the “criminalization of journalism” and undermines constitutional guarantees of free expression. The group demanded her acquittal alongside lay worker Marielle Domiquil and the rest of the so-called “Tacloban 5.”
Cumpio, who was arrested in 2020, had worked with community media outfit Eastern Vista and hosted the radio program Lingganay Han Kamatuoran. She reported on issues affecting marginalized communities in Samar and Leyte, often under conditions of harassment, red-tagging, and surveillance.
Altermidya warned that a conviction would have “far-reaching and chilling consequences,” legitimizing prolonged detention as punishment without verdict and deepening the climate of fear for journalists and citizens alike. “Six years of detention without conviction is six years too many,” the group said.
The case has drawn concern from press freedom advocates and human rights organizations, who argue that the charges against Cumpio and her colleagues reflect a broader pattern of using anti-terror laws to silence dissent and community reporting.
“The Philippines cannot claim to uphold democratic values while allowing journalists to languish in jail for years without conviction,” Altermidya said, adding that the public’s right to know is at stake.
The group concluded its appeal with the call: “Free Frenchie Mae Cumpio. Drop all charges against Tacloban 5. Defend press freedom, assert the right to free expression.” (ZIA LUNA)
