MANILA — International press freedom watchdogs have nominated detained journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio for UNESCO’s 2026 Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, an annual recognition given to a person or an organization that has made an outstanding contribution in the defense and promotion of press freedom.

The nominating parties include the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and Free Press Unlimited (FPU). They chose Cumpio for her courage, commitment to journalism, and defense of press freedom.

CPJ described the imprisoned journalist as a “beacon of journalism” in the Philippines, which, for a long time, has been a dangerous country for members of the press.

“Awarding her with the 2026 UNESCO’s Cano Prize would be a clarion call for the Philippines and other countries to cease the rampant criminalization and undue imprisonment of journalists,” said CPJ Chief Global Affairs Officer Gypsy Guillén Kaiser.

Prior to her arrest in February 2020, Cumpio was the executive director of Tacloban-based alternative news outfit Eastern Vista and an anchor of the Lingganay han Kamatuoran program, tackling stories about human rights violations endured by the marginalized in the Eastern Visayas region.

She faced criminal charges, which local media and rights organizations believed stemmed from fabricated evidence and testimonies. Before her arrest, she experienced surveillance and red-tagging.

On January 22, 2026, Cumpio and her co-accused, church worker Marielle Domequil, were acquitted of their charges related to illegal possession of firearms and explosives. However, they were convicted for terrorism financing, sentencing them to 12-18 years of imprisonment.

Read: How ‘ex-rebels’ testimonies lead to conviction of Cumpio, Domequil

Cumpio is the first journalist in the country to be convicted of the said crime. Her legal team has already filed an appeal to the terror financing conviction, and a motion for bail for her temporary liberty pending appeal.

The three international press freedom organizations are part of the #FreeFrenchieMaeCumpio Coalition, together with local media groups the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and the People’s Alternative Media Network (AlterMidya).

The coalition has been advocating for the release of the Tacloban-based journalist. Representatives of CPJ, RSF, and FPU had visited Cumpio in Tacloban City Jail and attended her promulgation.

Aleksandra Bielakowska, RSF Asia-Pacific advocacy manager, said Cumpio embodies the resilience of today’s journalism in the country.

“She fully deserves the recognition of the Guillermo Cano Prize jury for her investigations into human rights violations committed by the military and for her unwavering commitment to press freedom in the Philippines,” Bielakowska said in a statement.

Read: Support for journo Frenchie Mae Cumpio grows, groups slam 6th year of detention

NUJP welcomed the nomination made by international groups, saying this acknowledgement affirmed the fact that she is a journalist and not a member of any terrorist organizations.

This recognition, NUJP added, is also an attestation that Cumpio is not facing this alone, recalling the cases of journalists Deo Montesclaros, Anne Krueger, Lady Ann “Icy” Salem, and other media workers who have been targeted by the state.

Montesclaros is a community journalist slapped with terror financing charges while Krueger and Salem were arrested in separate incidents and charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives. The court has dismissed the charges against Salem while Krueger is out on bail.

Read: ‘They want to scare us’ | Accused journalist denounces gov’t over trumped-up charges

“While NUJP welcomes the nomination and believes Frenchie deserves it, we hold that her acquittal and release is the best ‘prize’,” the journalists’ group said in a statement.

The prize, which is awarded annually on May 3, World Press Freedom Day, is named after Colombian journalist Guillermo Cano Isaza, who was murdered in front of the offices of his newspaper in 1986.

Filipino journalist and Rappler co-founder Maria Ressa received the same award in 2021. (RVO)

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