Journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio testified before the Tacloban Regional Trial Court in Eastern Visayas on Monday, a few years after her arrest in 2020 alongside the human rights activists, Tacloban 5, following the police raids conducted in their area.
Cumpio testified for the first time since her arrest on charges of illegal firearm possession and terrorism financing. Although Cumpio has repeatedly denied all charges, no further preparations for her case were taken.
On Monday, media organizations and human rights advocates protested outside the Department of Justice (DOJ) calling for the release of the detained journalist. Several people gathered to demand that the government drop all “trumped-up charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives and financing terrorism,” against Cumpio.
The Joint Statement
In a joint statement, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and several other media organizations, expressed their support for Cumpio, the Tacloban 5, and their families in their fight for justice.
“Ang nangyari kay Frenchie ay matingkad na halimbawa ng nagpapatuloy na pag-atake sa kalayaan sa pamamahayag at tumitinding kawalan ng pananagutan sa mga paglabag sa karapatang pantao sa hanay ng mga mamamahayag sa bansa,” the statement read.
“Hindi isang krimen ang paglalantad ng katotohanan, lalo na ang hinaing ng inaaping mamamayan,” they added.
According to the organization, the incident is a clear example of how terrorism is used to curtail one's freedom of speech; adding how the Anti-Terror Act and Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act are being used against critics, activists, and human rights defenders.
UN Special Rapporteur
Moreover, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan, expressed her dismay at the “unjustifiably long pre-trial detention” of Cumpio.
“Today, 11 November, Frenchie has finally had an opportunity to take the stand to defend herself. It has taken the government nearly half a decade to prepare a case against Frenchie and during this long period, this young woman has been left to languish in detention. That itself raises serious questions about the fairness of the process,” Khan said on Monday.
“The arrest and criminal charges, following months of “red-tagging”, surveillance, intimidation, and harassment, appear to have been filed in retaliation for her work as a journalist,” she added.
Before her arrest, Cumpio was a community radio broadcaster, focused on the alleged abuses and human rights violations by military forces in the state.
Cumpio could face six to 12 years of imprisonment if convicted of illegal firearm possession, and 40 years of imprisonment if found guilty for the violation of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
