RSF - Reporters sans frontières

03/19/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/19/2026 04:33

Philippines: RSF and press freedom groups renew call for journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio's release ahead of key court ruling

Next week, the judge in the case against Frenchie Mae Cumpio is scheduled to decide whether she will grant the defence's motion to reconsider the conviction against the journalist for the bogus charge of "financing of terrorism," and a motion to allow her bail. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the #FreeFrenchieMaeCumpio coalition renew their call for her immediate release. After more than six years of prolonged detention on baseless charges, it is high time to free this icon of independent journalism in the Philippines.

It's a chance to reverse a historic miscarriage of justice. On 23 March 2026, a judge is scheduled to rule on the defence's motion for reconsideration of Frenchie Mae Cumpio's conviction on charges of "financing terrorism," as well as a motion to reconsider her bail. The journalist has been detained since 7 February 2020, when police and military officials raided her living quarters and arrested her. At the time of her arrest, Frenchie Mae Cumpio was the executive director of the Eastern Vistanews website and a radio news anchor at Aksyon Radyo-Tacloban DYVL, reporting extensively on alleged police and military abuses as well as community welfare issues in Eastern Visayas.

The journalist was eventually acquitted of a charge of "illegal possession of firearms," but, on 22 January 2026, she was convicted of "financing terrorism" based solely on the testimonies of witnesses who, according to an RSF investigation, are under the close watch of the military and are witnesses in several similar human rights cases the military has brought against civilians. She now faces a prison sentence of 12 to 18 years.

"Frenchie Mae Cumpio should not have spent a single day in prison, and it is imperative that the Philippines quash this alarming decision. As part of a coalition of international NGOs that has closely monitored and advocated on her behalf for years, we demand that this injustice end once and for all. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. must finally act to free Frenchie Mae Cumpio, an icon of Filipino journalism. Only then can he demonstrate the genuine commitment to press freedom that he claims to uphold.

Aleksandra Bielakowska
Advocacy Manager, RSF Asia-Pacific

Worldwide outrage

Her case has drawn growing international condemnation. In early March 2026, five UN experts, including Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, denouncedFrenchie Mae Cumpio's conviction as "deeply troubling" and stated that she and her co-accused should, "at a minimum, be released on bail while they pursue their appeal." Earlier this year, RSF and the #FreeFrenchieMaeCumpio coalition brought together90 press associations and unions that called on the Philippines' President Marcos to release her immediately.

The Philippines ranks among the most dangerous countries in the world for media professionals, coming in 116th out of 180 countries and territories in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index.

RSF, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Free Press Unlimited (FPU) are part of the #FreeFrenchieMaeCumpio coalition, along with AlterMidya, and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP).

Published on19.03.2026
RSF - Reporters sans frontières published this content on March 19, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 19, 2026 at 10:33 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]