January 14, 2025 – A coalition of international and local press freedom organisations is urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to immediately and unconditionally release prominent journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, whose promulgation of judgment in the illegal firearms possession case is set a week from now, on January 22, 2026.
Detained unjustly for nearly six years without a conviction, Frenchie Mae Cumpio’s case raises serious concerns about prolonged pretrial detention and allegations that authorities planted the weapons used to justify her arrest. The 26-year-old journalist, who will turn 27 on 23 January, has been imprisoned since February 2020, when she was arrested alongside four human rights defenders. Before her detention, Cumpio served as executive director of the Eastern Vista news website and worked as a radio news anchor, frequently reporting on alleged police and military abuses as well as community welfare issues.
Throughout her unjust detention, Frenchie, a symbol of press freedom, has received support from around the world. In September 2025, 250 journalists worldwide called on President Marcos to take action to secure her release, underscoring that she embodies the essential role of journalism in exposing abuses and defending democracy. The signatories are seasoned reporters from across the globe, from the Philippines to the United States, Brazil to Kenya, and Australia to Mongolia.
The coalition, including the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and AlterMidya in Manila, along with global press freedom organizations Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and Free Press Unlimited (FPU), has also repeatedly raised concerns about Cumpio’s physical condition and violations of her legal rights.
Irene Khan, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion, has called for justice for Cumpio and expressed dismay at the unjustifiably long pretrial detention. The U.N. envoy visited Cumpio in prison in January 2024 during a country visit. In May 2025, her case was included in the 2025 world’s ’10 Most Urgent’ list, according to One Free Press Coalition.
“Frenchie Mae Cumpio’s prolonged detention is inhumane and has no place in a system that claims to uphold justice and respect media freedom. The world is watching, and all eyes will be on the Philippines next week. The government can, and must, end this injustice without delay. We hope to see her finally free, reunited with her family, and able to continue doing the job she loves: reporting.”- #FreeFrenchieMaeCumpio Coalition
Spokespeople are available for interviews in English/Filipino:
AlterMidya (People’s Alternative Media Network, Manila): Rhea Padilla, rhea@altermidya.net
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (Manila): Jonathan De Santos, secretariat@nujp.org
Reporters Without Borders (Taipei/Paris): Aleksandra Bielakowska, abielakowska@rsf.org
Committee to Protect Journalists (Frankfurt/New York): Beh Lih Yi, lbeh@cpj.org; press@cpj.org
Free Press Unlimited (Amsterdam): Jos Bartman bartman@freepressunlimited.org
