#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: On the Denial of Frenchie Mae’s Bail Plea
It is unfortunate and unfair that community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio will stay in detention with the court's denial of bail. Each day that Frenchie is in jail is another day that she is kept from her family and from the community whose issues and problems she...
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...
#FreeFrenchieMaeCumpio: International coalition of NGOs welcomes dismissal of trumped-up case against community journalist
November 7, 2025 – The international coalition of press freedom NGOs welcomes the decision of the Laoang Regional Trial Court Branch 21 to grant the motion to quash the baseless murder charge filed against community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio. This ruling marks a...
Statement | Court wins should lead to freedom for Frenchie, colleagues
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines welcomes two positive developments this week: The quashal, or nullification, of made-up murder charges against detained community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, and the Court of Appeals' reversal of the forefeiture...
NUJP Iloilo revived amid perceived lack of safety
By Joseph Bernard Marzan ILOILO CITY– The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)-Iloilo chapter was revived October 11, holding its first general assembly since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Rjay Zuriaga Castor of Daily Guardian and The Manila...
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...