January 23, 2026
TACLOBAN – The family of community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio came to court here on Thursday carrying a set of clothes for her homecoming, as they held high hopes that she would be acquitted after nearly six years behind bars.
Instead, they left still without her, cloaked in grief.
The Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 45 acquitted Cumpio and her co-accused, Mariel Domequil, of illegal possession of firearms, ammunition, and explosives—but convicted them of financing terrorism.
With the conviction, Cumpio—who turns 27 on Friday—and Domequil, who worked for a church-based organization, will each serve a prison term of 12 to 18 years, according to the decision of Judge Georgina Perez.
“We were unable to even hug them,” Kyle, Domequil’s sister, told reporters, after the two women were immediately taken to a prison vehicle after the promulgation.
“We prepared some clothes for them because we were hoping that the cases would be dismissed by the judge,” she said.
Roxy Cumpio, Frenchie Mae’s mother, said the family was also preparing to celebrate her daughter’s 27th birthday. “Now, much as we want to visit her right away, we could not do that because Fridays are not open for jail visits,” she said.
‘Cash, ammo’ for NPA
The charge of terrorism financing stemmed from allegations from the police that Cumpio and Domequil traveled to Catbalogan City, Samar, on March 29, 2021, where they allegedly gave cash and ammunition to members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA), which the government has designated as a terrorist group.
The offense falls under Republic Act No. 10168, or the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012.
At the time of their arrest, Cumpio was an executive director of the news outlet Eastern Vista while Domequil was with the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines.
The case was originally filed in Catbalogan City on Oct. 13, 2021, more than a year after the two were arrested in Tacloban on Feb. 7, 2020.
It was later transferred on June 10, 2022, to Tacloban RTC Branch 45, the designated court for antiterrorism cases in Eastern Visayas.
Judge Perez also imposed a fine of P500,000 each on Cumpio and Domequil. From the Tacloban City Jail, they were ordered transferred to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.
According to Perez, the prosecution was “able to establish all elements” of terrorism financing as defined by law, based on the witnesses’ testimonies.
Perez was referring to the “established” evidence that both of the accused sent P100,000 in cash, two boxes of .45-caliber ammunition, and 12 pieces of shotgun ammunition to the communist rebels.
She cited the designation of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed unit, NPA, as terrorists through Proclamation No. 374, which was issued by then President Rodrigo Duterte in 2017.
“Thus, at the time the two accused provided cash and supplies to its members, the organization was already domestically recognized or identified as a terrorist group,” she said.
Call for ‘scrutiny’
Human rights lawyers and advocates expressed outrage over the decision.
“This conviction, with due respect, … demands the highest level of public scrutiny. What is at stake is not only the liberty of [Cumpio] and [Domequil], but the safety of civil society actors whose work depends on the freedom to speak, associate, and serve without fear of criminalization,” National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers said in a statement.
“This shows how terror laws in the Philippines, by their nature and design, chill speech, deter association, and shrink civic space,” it added.
Human rights group Karapatan noted how the prosecution “relied on intelligence claims treated as facts and testimonies.”
“The essential elements of terrorism financing were never established,” Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said.
She noted that at the earlier stages of the case, serious questions had been raised on the credibility of the prosecution witnesses as well as the the legality of the search and seizure.
‘First in the world’
“This decision sets a precedent as Frenchie Mae is the first journalist in the world to be convicted of financing terrorism,” said Bi Lih Yi, Asia Program Coordinator of the Committee to Protect Journalists.
“I think the decision sends a chilling effect not only among journalists in the Philippines but also worldwide,” she added. “It has far-reaching implications because of the trend of using terrorism charges to go after journalists in autocratic countries like Russia, Myanmar using such absurd and ridiculous charges to go after journalists.
Yi described the decision as “appalling and absurd” and “nothing short of injustice,” saying it shows how authorities can be used to silence journalists critical of government policies.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) also assailed the convictions.
“We have held from the start that the charges against them are trumped up and are products of a questionable arrest and testimony from dubious witnesses,” the NUJP said in a statement.
“[Cumpio’s] case has been emblematic of the challenged state of press freedom, and more broadly of freedom of speech and expression, in the Philippines. Her conviction does not bode well for the media’s ability to report on the issues that Frenchie did without fear of reprisal or retribution,” it added.
Police lauds decision
The Police Regional Office-8 (PRO-8), which filed the cases, welcomed the court’s decision.
“PRO-8 underscores the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law reflected in this outcome,” the regional command said in a statement.
“The conviction for terrorism financing highlights the government’s firm commitment to combating terrorism and cutting off financial support to any terrorist activities.”