Both of them did not have the chance to inform their families about the sudden transfer.
MANILA — Despite the transfer of community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and church worker Marielle Domequil to the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW), their fight for freedom has not wavered.
The two were transferred to the CIW on April 22, a day after they underwent medical examinations. They told Bulatlat that they are not well-informed with the process even on the day of the transfer.
Cumpio and Domequill were transferred on separate vehicles, with three security officers assigned to each of them. Handcuffs were never taken off until they reached the CIW.
“It was one of the things that I fear the most,” Domequil said in Filipino. “It was those moments when we were out of the grid, outside the custody of the prison, uncertain what would happen to us. They did not tell us anything, but we expected that we would be transferred to a facility here in Manila.”
Both of them did not have the chance to inform their families about the sudden transfer. For them, the transfer would make their access to their families and communities more challenging since they are based in Tacloban.
For example, the standard airfare roundtrip ticket this coming June from Tacloban to Manila ranges from P5,000 to P12,000 depending on the airline. Other transportations from airport to jail, rental spaces, and food are not yet included but all these remain crucial for their families to visit them. Their transfer, Domequil said, compounds their economic hindrances more.
On May 26, their legal counsel filed a petition for certiorari before the Court of Appeals (CA) in Cebu City, seeking to annul court decisions denying Cumpio and Domequil’s admission to bail following their financing terrorism conviction.
Tacloban City Regional Trial Court Branch 45 Judge Georgina Perez found Cumpio and Domequil guilty of allegedly helping finance the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), based solely on the testimonies of questionable ex-rebels.
The court sentenced Cumpio and Domequil to 12-18 years of imprisonment. They were, however, acquitted of the other charges related to illegal possession of firearms and explosives. Human rights organizations, including five United Nations experts, expressed alarm over the guilty verdict imposed by the judge. The lawyers said that the judge committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to a lack or excess of jurisdiction after she denied their motions for bail despite the grounds presented.
Read: UN experts express alarm over conviction of Cumpio, Domequil
Cumpio was recently the 2026 Wallis Annenberg Justice for Women Awardee of the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) and Asia’s Honorable Mention from the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan on their annual Press Freedom Awards.
International press freedom watchdogs Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders and Free Press Unlimited also nominated Cumpio for UNESCO’s 2026 Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize for her contribution to the defense and promotion of press freedom.
Read: Frenchie Mae Cumpio wins prestigious international award
“It should take a heavy toll to those who are handling the case,” said Cumpio in Filipino. “These recognitions should shake them that there is something wrong with the conviction and continuous detention.”
She also dedicated the recognition to journalists in the Philippines and other parts of the world who continue to face state-funded attacks, especially those working in countries in conflict.
“These awards also mean a lot for us, our lawyers, our supporters, our families, and all those who knew the case and continue to fight for us,” Cumpio said. “May we never get wary in fighting for press freedom and for justice.”
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), together with Karapatan and the Office of Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Elago, organized a mass and a visit to Cumpio, Domequil, and all political prisoners at the CIW.
“We will not stop to campaign and to pursue justice because the political prisoners remain unwavering, a source of strength to the movement,” Paul Soriano, chairperson of the NUJP – Metro Manila chapter, said. “We will push back until the truth prevails and all the political prisoners are freed.” (DAA)
Disclosure: Bulatlat Editor-in-Chief Len Olea is also NUJP Secretary-General.
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