Filipino Journalist Gets Prison in Case Seen as Attack on Free Press

Filipino journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and her former roommate Marielle Dumaquil were convicted of financing terrorism in the Philippines on Thursday and sentenced to 12-18 years in prison. Cumpio, a radio reporter and writer for Eastern Vista, was arrested in 2020 and accused of being a conduit for funds for communist insurgents. While acquitted of possessing firearms and explosives, the conviction has drawn criticism from rights and press freedom groups who view it as an attack on the free press. These groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, have called for Cumpio's release, citing concerns about "red-tagging" and the criminalization of journalists. They argue the verdict contradicts President Marcos Jr.'s pledges to uphold press freedom.

Filipino journalist Frenchie Cumpio and her former roommate Marielle Domequil were found guilty of terror financing in a Tacloban court on Thursday and sentenced to 12-18 years in prison, despite being acquitted on a weapons charge. Cumpio, a community journalist, was arrested in February 2020 and later charged with terror financing, which carries a potential 40-year sentence. Rights groups, including the Clooney Foundation for Justice and Reporters Without Borders, have condemned the verdict, calling it a travesty of justice and a blatant disregard for press freedom. Cumpio's lawyer plans to appeal the ruling, arguing that Cumpio was a victim of "red-tagging," where the government links critics to communist insurgents. The Committee to Protect Journalists noted this is the first time a journalist in the Philippines has been charged with financing terrorism.