Philippines - January 2026

On 22 January, a regional court convicted journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and church worker Marielle Domequil of financing terrorism, sentencing them to between 12 and 18 years in prison, while acquitting them of separate firearms and explosives charges. Cumpio has been in pre-trial detention since February 2020, making her the country’s longest-imprisoned journalist in recent years. She is also the first Philippine journalist convicted of financing terrorism. Before her arrest, she reported on alleged police and military abuses. Rights experts said the ruling demonstrated the use of criminal proceedings to silence critical reporting and called for her immediate release. Both defendants deny the allegations. 

Update: On 3 August, Cumpio and Domequil appealed their convictions to the Court of Appeals. Their lawyers also sought reconsideration of the denial of bail pending appeal. In an opinion made public in July, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention also found their detention arbitrary and called for their release and an independent investigation.

Sources: Committee to Protect Journalists, Inquirer, International Federation of Journalists