Frenchie Mae Cumpio

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Frenchie Mae Cumpio
Born (1999-01-23) 23 January 1999 (age 26)
Nationality Filipino
Occupationjournalist
Known forpolitical prisoner

Frenchie Mae Cumpio (born January 23, 1999) is a Filipino journalist and political prisoner.

Life

Cumpio was born in 1999. [1]

Cumpio ran a website called Eastern Vista news and she was a news presenter at Aksyon Radyo Tacloban DYVL 819. [2]

On 7 February 2020 she was arrested with four others in Tacloban City in her country's Leyte province. She was charged with terrorism related offences and possessing a firearm, but others allege that this was planted by the authorities. [2] The others were activists Alexander Abinguna, Marissa Cabaljao, Mira Legion and Marielle Domequil who were called "the Tacloban 5". [3] They were voices of dissent at the time of President Rodrigo Duterte. [4]

According to Reporters Without Borders, in September 2020 and August 2021 a judge authorised arrest warrants against her despite the fact that she was already imprisoned. Her name was mispelt and the charges were made to her. The warrants were for her alleged involvement in a double murder of two soldiers in October 2019. At that time she was living seven hours away. She was said to have been identified by name by one of the alleged survivors of the attack. [5] The existence of these charges were not known until August 2025 when they were revealed by an "exclusive RSF investigation. [5]

Irene Khan the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression visited her in jail on 28 January 2024. She said that the terrorism based charges should be set aside. [3]

In 2025 she was still imprisoned and her release was demanded by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines. [1] Her release was also named by Reporters Without Borders as one of that years RWP priority campaign's priorities together with Sandra Muhoza of Burundi, Sevinj Vagifgizi of Azerbaijan and Phạm Đoan Trang of Vietnam. [6]

Cumpio was nominated for the 2025 Reporters Without Borders Prize, Courage Prize category. The prize honors media workers who show "courage in the practice, defense or promotion of journalism in a hostile environment and despite threats to their freedom or safety." [7]

References

  1. 1 2 "Happy Birthday to National Union of Journalists of the Philippines". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  2. 1 2 "Frenchie Mae Cumpio". Committee to Protect Journalists. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  3. 1 2 Guardian, Daily (2024-11-11). "Detained Journalist Testifies in Landmark Trial". Daily Guardian. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  4. ↑ "Calls grow for release of Philippine journalist, activists- UCA News". ucanews.com. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  5. 1 2 "Exclusive RSF investigation: Filipino Journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio now accused of double murder | RSF". rsf.org. 2025-08-01. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  6. ↑ "RSF kêu gọi trả tự do cho Phạm Đoan Trang & ba nhà báo khác trong chiến dịch 2025". Tiếng Việt (in Vietnamese). 2025-03-09. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  7. ↑ Villanueva, Raymund (2025-10-19). "Jailed Filipino journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio nominated for international media award". Kodao Productions. Retrieved 2025-10-19.
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