The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan, condemned the Philippines on Monday for depriving a journalist of her right to a fair trial without delay. Khan urged the authorities to resolve her case promptly.
Frenchie Mae Cumpio, now a 25-year-old investigative journalist, appeared before the Tacloban City Regional Court that day to defend herself against charges of illegal possession of firearms and financing terrorism, which can attract a maximum of 12 and 40 years imprisonment respectively. The authorities discovered firearms, which Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) asserted were planted, in her residence in February 2020. She has been held in provisional custody ever since. In July 2021, the state prosecutor charged her with financing terrorism based on funds found in her office.
On the same day as her court appearance, several civil rights and journalist groups protested outside the Philippines’ Department of Justice, urging authorities to immediately release Frenchie Mae Cumpio and drop all charges against her. The International Association of Women in Radio and Television echoed these concerns, describing her prolonged custody as “a gross violation of the principles of fairness and due process.” The association maintained that the prolonged detention aims to silence her and discontinue her investigative journalism.
Under Articles 9 and 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, states are required to conduct timely criminal trials. Failure to do so not only infringes on fundamental rights but also increases the risk of indefinite detention. International law upholds the right to a fair trial and due process, even in the context of countering terrorism.
RSF added that the authorities strategically targeted Frenchie Mae Cumpio to deter investigative journalism in the country because of her role as the director of Easter Vista, a media outlet committed to reporting on marginalized communities, and the host of a radio program that revealed military and police abuses. RSF argued that her prosecution is part of the notorious “red-tagging” practices–labeling journalists and human rights activists as terrorists to deter human rights advocacy in the country. Relatedly, Amnesty International also called for the halt of “red-tagging” on social media platforms, which target young activists in October.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines also called for the reform of the country’s anti-terror legislation, stating:
Frenchie’s case is a clear example of continuing attacks on press freedom and the worsening impunity on violations of the rights of journalists in the Philippines. Reporting the truth, especially the grievances of oppressed citizens, is not a crime. This case also shows how the accusation of terrorism is used to justify the curtailment of press freedom. The Anti-Terror Act and Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act have been used as a weapon against critics, activists and human rights defenders.
RSF ranked the Philippines 134th out of 180 countries in 2024’s World Press Freedom Index.
