Philippine Government Pressured to Release Journalist Held Since 2020
More than 250 journalists and media representatives from around the world came together on Wednesday to urge Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take “decisive action” and immediately release journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio. The appeal was made through a letter organized by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the #FreeFrenchieMaeCumpio campaign.
Cumpio, a 26-year-old journalist, has been detained for over five years. She faces charges of illegal possession of firearms and alleged links to terrorism — accusations that critics say are politically motivated. Her trial has been plagued by delays, prompting a United Nations expert to call the case a “travesty of justice.” Cumpio is currently the only journalist imprisoned in the Philippines in connection with her reporting. If convicted, she could face up to 40 years in prison.
“It is completely wrong to keep Frenchie Mae Cumpio in prison for even one more day,” said Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia Program Coordinator. “President Marcos Jr. must correct past injustices and release her. He has publicly committed to protecting press freedom. Now is the time to act on that promise and end this miscarriage of justice.”
Cumpio’s trial is scheduled to resume on September 29.
In the letter, signatories stated that her continued detention is “not only a failure of justice, but also a direct contradiction” of President Marcos’s declarations in support of press freedom. They also urged him to uphold “the highest respect for human rights” as the Philippines prepares to chair the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year.
The #FreeFrenchieMaeCumpio campaign — which includes CPJ, the media network AlterMidya, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and Free Press Unlimited — has long raised concerns about her prolonged detention. The group also alleges that the firearms found during her arrest in February 2020 were planted by authorities.
Source : https://en.tempo.co/read/2051801/cpj-urges-philippine-leader-to-free-frenchie-mae-cumpio
