The Council of Bishops of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) on Sunday condemned the conviction of journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and lay worker Marielle Domequil, calling the ruling an attack on press freedom, human rights, and the nation’s moral conscience.
In a pastoral statement dated Jan. 26, the bishops said they were speaking out “with moral urgency and prophetic resolve” over the conviction of the two women, whom they said had “faithfully served poor and marginalized communities in Eastern Visayas.”
The bishops noted that Cumpio was acquitted of charges related to the alleged illegal possession of firearms and explosives, but said they were “gravely alarmed by her conviction for terrorism financing under the Anti-Terrorism Law.”
“We firmly assert that these accusations—along with those filed against Marielle Domequil and the Tacloban 5—are fabricated and politically driven, designed to suppress those who uphold truth, justice, and human dignity,” the statement said.
The ruling, the bishops said, “goes beyond a legal decision” and “constitutes a direct assault on press freedom, human rights, and the moral conscience of our nation.” They warned that it “sends a chilling warning that advocating for the marginalized and speaking truth to power may be treated as criminal acts.”
The bishops also criticized the government, saying, “We also decry the hypocrisy of an administration that professes to protect civil liberties while permitting the law to be wielded as a weapon against dissent.”
Cumpio and Domequil have endured “six years of unjust imprisonment,” the statement said, adding, “Every day of their continued detention is a moral indictment of our nation.”
The UCCP Council of Bishops called on people of faith, journalists, and the public to respond, urging them to “pray for the immediate release of Frenchie Mae, Marielle, and all unjustly detained human rights defenders,” to “speak out against the abuse of the Anti-Terrorism Law to silence truth-tellers,” and to “stand in solidarity with journalists, activists, and communities who face harassment and persecution for defending justice and human rights.”
