The use of terrorism financing charges against a detained Filipino journalist is facing renewed scrutiny ahead of a March 23 court ruling, as advocates raise concerns over the law’s application against critics.
A regional trial court is set to rule on motions seeking reconsideration of the conviction of Frenchie Mae Cumpio and her bail, in a case that has drawn international attention.
Cumpio, a Tacloban-based journalist and former executive director of the Eastern Vista, has been detained since Feb. 7, 2020, along with her co-accused, Marielle Domequil, a Church lay worker, following a joint police and military raid.
Authorities claimed to have recovered firearms and grenades during the operation, but Cumpio testified that the evidence had been planted and that she and her co-accused were forced to turn away during the search. The weapons charges were later dismissed, but were used to justify her prolonged detention.
On Jan. 22, 2026, she was convicted of “financing of terrorism” and now faces a prison sentence of 12 to 18 years, a charge her supporters describe as baseless.
Press freedom groups have questioned the conviction, citing concerns over the evidence presented in court.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the case relied on testimonies of witnesses who are “under the close watch of the military and are witnesses in several similar human rights cases the military has brought against civilians.”
The concerns extend beyond the case itself. In a February 2025 report, Human Rights Watch said authorities have been filing “baseless terrorism-financing charges against civil society groups and activists,” with cases increasing in recent years.
“Philippine authorities appear to be stepping up terrorism financing prosecutions to get off of FATF’s ‘grey list’ and its potential financial cost,” said Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
“This seems to be the government’s latest bad reason to bring baseless charges against civil society groups and activists in violation of their rights,” Lau added.
Human Rights Watch said many of the cases rely on weak or unverified evidence and have targeted activists, religious workers, journalists, and civil society groups, with several dismissed by courts for lack of probable cause.
International pressure has intensified ahead of the court review. Earlier this month, five United Nations experts, including Special Rapporteur Ben Saul, described Cumpio’s conviction as “deeply troubling” and said she and her co-accused should, “at a minimum, be released on bail while they pursue their appeal.”
Irene Khan, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion, has also raised concerns over the case, particularly the length of Cumpio’s pre-trial detention.
A coalition of international and local press freedom organizations renewed calls for her release.
“The conviction of Frenchie Mae Cumpio is a clear miscarriage of justice, and it is imperative that the Philippines quash this alarming decision. As a coalition of international NGOs that has closely monitored and advocated on her behalf for years, we remain fully committed to securing her release. We call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to act without delay by freeing Frenchie Mae Cumpio and ending this injustice,” the #FreeFrenchieMaeCumpio coalition said.
RSF echoed the call, stressing the urgency of the court’s review.
“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,” said Aleksandra Bielakowska, advocacy manager of RSF Asia-Pacific.
Cumpio’s case has become a focal point for press freedom advocates in the Philippines and abroad. In 2025, 250 journalists worldwide, and in 2026, 90 journalists’ unions and associations, called on President Marcos to secure her release.
Her case was also included in the 2025 list of the world’s “10 Most Urgent” press freedom cases by the One Free Press Coalition.
The Philippines ranked 116th out of 180 countries and territories in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index.
Advocates say the March 23 ruling could determine not only Cumpio’s fate but also how courts will treat terrorism financing charges in cases involving journalists and civil society.
