Who is Frenchie Mae Cumpio, the iconic Filipino journalist held behind bars for six years

A Filipino journalist and president of the independent media network Altermidya, Raymund Villanuevabegan mentoring Frenchie Mae Cumpio in 2015, when she was just 16 years old. They first met at a radio workshop for survivors of Typhoon Haiyan, one of the deadliest natural disasters in the country's recent history, where Cumpio took part as both a young journalist and a survivor.

Her calling was already clear. Editor-in-chief of her high school newspaper, Raymund Villanueva recounted how she won several journalism awards and later continued writing for the university publications. "Frenchie Mae Cumpio was already an active journalist when I met her, shaped by her experience as a disaster survivor and by the kind of journalism she would eventually pursue,"he told RSF.

"Her stories centred on human rights and social justice," he explained. "If I were to describe her work, I would say she is the epitome of the hopes we have for the future of Philippine journalism."

He described how she eventually became executive director of Eastern Vistaand a radio host for Aksyon Radyo Tacloban(DYVL), where she covered politically sensitive issues, including alleged abuses by the military and police in the Eastern Visayas region Despite being followed by the unidentified individuals, she continued her reporting until her arrest.

On 7 February 2020, Frenchie Mae Cumpio's living quarters were raided by police and military. She was arrested, placed in pretrial detention and charged with "illegal possession of firearms." In October 2021, she was arbitrarily given an additional bogus charge: "financing terrorism." During her trial, Cumpio consistently testifiedthat the evidence was planted - claims supported by an RSF investigation. She described how she and her co-accused were forced to turn away during the search, preventing them from witnessing it. She was eventually acquitted of "illegal possession of firearms," but on 22 January 2026, she was convicted of "terrorism financing" based solely on the testimonies of witnesses who, according to the RSF investigation, are under military protection and are also witnesses in several similar human rights cases brought by the military against civilians.

Frenchie Mae Cumpio now faces a prison sentence of 12 to 18 years. "I agree with RSF that her recent conviction was a travesty of justice," says her mentor. "The additional charge [of financing terrorism] should have been regarded as the fruit of a poisonous tree," he told RSF. "I am aghast that testimonies of proven liars are given more weight by the court."

The case is a prime example of "red-tagging," a tactic used by those in power in the Philippines whereby journalists reporting on sensitive issues are labelled "subversive" or even "terrorists." In January 2025, Deo Montesclaros, a multimedia reporter for the weekly newspaper Pinoy Weekly, was unjustly chargedwith "financing terrorism," in a case that closely mirrored Frenchie Mae Cumpio's case. According to Raymund Villanueva, she was aware of the risks: "Such concern is part of the training we gave her. As an activist herself, she has a deeper awareness of the threats posed by enemies of truth and social justice."

Despite the nightmare Frenchie Mae Cumpio is currently living through, Villanueva continues to encourage young reporters to pursue independent journalism: "Without brave voices, journalism would surrender its reason for being to forces of evil. The history of Philippine journalism is steeped in struggle and courage. We need to carry that torch forward."

The Philippines ranks among the most dangerous countries in the world for media professionals, coming in 116th out of 180 countries and territories in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index.