DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and lay worker Marielle Domequil were acquitted today January 22 of charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives, but were convicted for financing terrorism.
The decision, handed by Judge Georgina Perez of the Regional Trial Court Branch 45 in Tacloban, stunned human rights and press freedom advocates, who monitored the promulgation of the court decision in Tacloban through social media live stream. They maintained that the charges against Cumpio and Domequil were fabricated.
Their lawyers said they will appeal the decision.
The 26-year old Cumpio and Domequil, 28, were detained since February 2020, nearly six years now, following their arrests with three other activists in their staff house.
Cumpio, then 21-years old, was the executive director of the independent media Eastern Vista and was news anchor of Aksyon Radyo-Tacloban DVYL.
Prior to her arrest, Cumpio was reporting on alleged abuses committed by the local police and military against the communities.
Grave implication and lies
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) said in a statement that they found the verdict on Cumpio and Domequil disturbing.
They pointed out that an earlier ruling from the Court of Appeals overturned the forfeiture of Php 500,000 seized by authorities from Cumpio and Domequil, which authorities claims was financing the New People’s Army.
“The appellate court (CA) expressly cautioned against the hasty labeling of human rights advocates as terrorists and emphasized that due process cannot be set aside in the name of national security. That ruling directly undermines the narrative used to justify the terrorism financing charge and raises serious questions about the basis of the terrorism financing charge,” their statement pointed out.
The lawyers’ group added that the court decision may have “grave implications.”
“This and similar cases thus demonstrate how counter-terrorism laws can be stretched and weaponized to criminalize lawful, civilian work—turning journalism, humanitarian work, and advocacy into alleged acts of terrorism financing. From this injustice flow the grave implications that cannot be ignored,” the NUPL said.
Human rights alliance KARAPATAN said the conviction was part of what it described as a coordinated effort by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) to silence dissent through fabricated cases and the weaponization of anti-terror laws.
“This conviction shows how the justice system is being used to carry out the lies and persecution pushed by the NTF-ELCAC and the Anti-Terrorism Council,” said Cristina Palabay, KARAPATAN secretary general.
Palabay said the acquittal of Cumpio and Domequil on firearms and explosives charges exposed the weakness of the prosecution’s case, but alleged that “the same lies and perjured testimonies were used to force a conviction in the remaining case.”
International reaction
The case has gained international coverage and support, including a prison visit from United Nations Special Rapporteur Irene Khan in 2024. Groups call this a test of the Marcos Jr. administration on press freedom and human rights.
“We are appalled by this verdict,” said Aleksandra Bielakowska, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Asia-Pacific Bureau advocacy manager after learning of the verdict.
“The RSF investigations and evidence presented in court by Frenchie Mae Cumpio’s lawyers clearly show how fabricated this case has been from the very beginning.”
Bielakowska said the conviction “represents a devastating failure on the part of the Philippine justice system” and warned that the country risks becoming “a perpetrator that red-tags, prosecutes and imprisons journalists simply for doing their work.”
Local media network AlterMidya also condemned the ruling, calling it “a grave injustice and a serious peril to the already dire state of press freedom and free expression in the Philippines.”
“The conviction has far-reaching consequences beyond Frenchie Mae,” AlterMidya said. “It deepens the climate of impunity in the country and sends a chilling message to journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens that free expression comes at a heavy cost.”
Defiant still
Following the court decision, Cumpio and Domequil were escorted back to prison in handcuffs.
Cumpio managed to speak to reporters when they boarded the police car:
“Maraming salamat sa inyong suporta. Malaking bagay ang acquittal sa kaso na illegal possession of firearms and explosives. Patuloy po tayong lalaban (Thank you for all your support. The acquittal on illegal possession of firearms and explosives is a huge victory. Let us continue the fight),” she said.
“Patuloy tayo sa paglaban para sa katotohanan (Let’s continue to fight for truth),” Domequil added.(davaotoday.com)
