Fight for justice for Frenchie Mae Cumpio continues Statement | March 26, 2026 The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) is extremely disappointed with the court decision denying the appeal of community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and her...
Statement
#FreeFrenchieMaeCumpio: NGOs renew call for journalist’s release as lawyers seek review of unjust conviction
On 23 March 2026, the judge is scheduled to decide on the defence’s motion for reconsideration of Frenchie Mae Cumpio’s conviction for the bogus “financing of terrorism,” along with a motion to reconsider her bail. A coalition of international and local press freedom...
Statement: Stop Abusing the Law!
The filing of charges and arrest of DZRH reporter Misael Boy Gonzales Jr. after reporting on a criminal case that Manila Councilor Rosalino Ibay Jr. is facing is clearly retaliatory and an abuse of the law. According to DZRH, police arrested Gonzales on Wednesday for...
STATEMENT: A throwback nobody is nostalgic for
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines takes exception to lawyer Nicholas Kaufman's characterization of coverage of Duterte's 'war on drugs' as twisted, sensational and "controlled by the powerful and the politically-influential." Media workers active...
Statement: When the Military Plays Media Critic
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines notes with concern a press statement by the 2nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army essentially calling out Philstar.com journalist Cristina Chi for "the repetition of demonstrably false or misleading...
OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT MARCOS JR
[AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT MARCOS JR.] President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Republic of the Philippines 6 February 2026 Dear President Marcos, The recent conviction of community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio of terrorism financing charges came as a shock to journalists...
Editorial: When Journalism is Treated as Terrorism*
On February 7, Frenchie Mae Cumpio, a community journalist from Leyte, marks her sixth year in detention—an incarceration that rights and media groups strongly believe stems from her work as a journalist. As a radio broadcaster, Frenchie reported on the lives of...
Statement: A partial victory, and a promise to keep fighting
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines condemns the conviction of community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and lay worker Marielle Domequil in the Terrorism Financing case against them. The verdict is an injustice, especially in light of a Court of...
STATEMENT | NUJP to Palace: Expand Access Instead of Replacing Reporters
While acknowledging that formal requests are preferable to demands and outright bans, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines backs the Malacañang Press Corps on the Presidential Communications Office's bid to replace reporters it has cited for breaking...