“But I’d like to give a greater salute to everyone who continues to believe in truth and justice.”
CAGAYAN DE ORO — Filipino journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio received the 2026 Wallis Annenberg Justice for Women Journalists Award, an annual recognition given to journalists who were imprisoned in line with their work.
The award was given by the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) on Thursday, May 14, as part of the 37th annual Courage in Journalism Awards, which aims to honor women journalists who continuously do their work despite dangerous conditions and extreme pressure.
Despite working in countries that operate in different political systems, IWMF noted that the awardees shared the same struggle, where journalism became a target.
“For the women who dare to report, journalism itself is being reframed as a punishable act,” Elisa Lees Muñoz, IWMF president, said in a statement. “We no longer live in a world of reactive suppression but preemptive deterrence, where reporting itself is a liability.”
In her response sent from prison, Cumpio expressed her appreciation for the award, dedicating this to her family, to organizations that steadily showed support amid her continuing detention, and to members of the media who fearlessly covered their journey despite the risk.
“But I’d like to give a greater salute to everyone who continues to believe in truth and justice,” she added.
Cumpio, who is part of the Tacloban 5, has been in jail since her arrest in February 2020 in Tacloban City, Leyte, facing multiple charges, which the media and human rights groups asserted as fabricated raps.
TIMELINE:The prolonged detention of Filipino journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio
Prior to her arrest, Cumpio served as executive director of alternative news outfit Eastern Vista and anchor of radio program Lingganay han Kamatuoran, writing stories about human rights abuses and violations, the plight of farmers, and impacts of militarization in the Eastern Visayas region. She also experienced red-tagging and alleged surveillance.
In January of this year, she and her co-accused, church worker Marielle Domequil, were acquitted of their charges related to illegal possession of firearms and explosives. But they were convicted for terrorism financing. The conviction was affirmed by a Tacloban court, prompting the lawyers to appeal the decision to the Court of Appeals.
International press freedom watchdogs the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and Free Press Unlimited had also nominated Cumpio for UNESCO’s 2026 Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize for her contribution to the defense and promotion of press freedom.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), one of the press freedom organizations that has been campaigning for her immediate release, congratulated Cumpio, saying this recognition from IWMF affirms the importance of community journalism, notably in amplifying the voices of the marginalized and oppressed sectors.
“We thank the International Women’s Media Foundation for selecting Frenchie from among the many nominees from around the world,” the NUJP said in a statement.
The group reiterated its calls to reverse the charges against Cumpio and Domequil, including their other colleague, human rights worker Alexander Abinguna, and demanded their freedom.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), which serves as the legal counsel for both Cumpio and Domequil, expressed honor for entrusting their legal battles to its lawyers. The group viewed the award as another rejection of the accusations made by the state.
“Whatever the local court may have ruled, the world recognizes in Frenchie Mae a journalist imprisoned for doing her job, and in that recognition lies the most damning vindication of her work and cause as a people’s journalist,” NUPL said.
Other recipients of the Courage in Journalism Awards were Iranian sisters Elaheh and Elnaz Mohammadi, United States-based broadcast journalist Georgia Fort, and Nay Min Ni (using a pseudonym) from Myanmar. They were chosen from 53 nominations across the globe. (RVO)
Disclosure: Bulatlat editor-in-chief Ronalyn Olea is the secretary general of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.
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