(THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF NORTHERN SAMAR)
In her 1st court appearance
TACLOBAN CITY-After more than four years in detention, Frenchie Mae Cumpio appeared in court for the first time on Monday, November 11, denying allegations that she and her co-accused possessed firearms and used a hideout.
Cumpio, 25, gave more than an hour of testimony before Judge Georgina Perez of Regional Trial Court-Branch 45 in Tacloban City, asserting her role as a practicing community journalist.
She is one of the “Tacloban 5,” charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). Cumpio also faces a separate charge of terrorism financing, all of which are non-bailable offenses.
Cumpio and her co-accused—Mariel Domequil, who was also around; Marissa Cabaljao, Mira Legion, and Alexander Philip Abinguna—were arrested on February 7, 2020, by members of the CIDG, Philippine National Police, and 802nd Infantry Brigade in Barangay 96, Calanipawan, Tacloban City.
The arrest warrant was issued by Judge Eligio Petilla of RTC-44 on February 3, 2020.
The group contends that the raid occurred at their headquarters, which authorities referred to as their “hideout.” Several firearms and ammunition were reportedly seized during the operation.
Cumpio, Domequil, and Abinguna remain detained at Tacloban City Jail, while Cabaljao and Legion were permitted to post bail for charges of illegal possession of firearms.
During her testimony, Cumpio, wearing a yellow T-shirt and vest, recounted how the raiding officers dragged them from their bedroom and made them lie on the kitchen floor.
“All we saw were boots,” she stated when asked by her lawyer if she could observe the actions of the raiding officers inside their room. The alleged contraband was reportedly found in the room shared by Cumpio and Domequil.
Cumpio refuted military claims, emphasizing that she is a legitimate media worker affiliated with Eastern Vista, which runs a radio program on a local station.
Through her lawyers, she presented her media ID and receipts for payment to the radio station airing their program “Lingganay.”
Len Olea, secretary-general of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), commended Cumpio’s testimony, stating, “She was able to debunk the allegations against her and her co-accused. We are confident that her testimony is crucial for the dismissal of the charges.”
“We hope the judge will see the truth and dispense justice in her favor,” Olea added, who was present during the hearing.
The incident took place during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte who was accused of red tagging various human rights groups in the country.
Multiple human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have called for the dismissal of charges against Cumpio and her co-accused, describing them as fabricated and meant to silence human rights defenders.
Beh Lih Yi, Asia Program Coordinator of the Committee to Protect Journalists, also urged the dismissal of charges, saying, “Journalists should not be persecuted for doing their job. They must not languish in jail for uncovering human rights abuses or reporting on climate-driven disasters. Ms. Cumpio’s prolonged imprisonment is emblematic of the criminalization of journalism in the Philippines, which has no place in a democratic society.”
The military has claimed that Cumpio and her group are linked to militant organizations alleged to be fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army.
They identified Cumpio as secretary of the Regional White Area Committee (RWAC-EVRPC), Domequil as a member of RWAC-EVRPC and finance officer of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines-Eastern Visayas, Abinguna as a member of Katungod-Sinirangan Bisayas, Legion as a member of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, and Cabaljao as part of People Surge.
JOEY A. GABIETA
