“While many cases against human rights defenders have been dismissed for lack of evidence, it is clear that anti-terror laws are wielded by the Philippine government to silence critical voices."

“While many cases against human rights defenders have been dismissed for lack of evidence, it is clear that anti-terror laws are wielded by the Philippine government to silence critical voices.”

CAGAYAN DE ORO — United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan cited the continuing detention of Filipino journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio in her final report to the UN Human Rights Council.

Khan’s 18-page report examined how the intersection of public and private powers and the convergence of geopolitical and corporate interests driving the digital revolution exploit the vulnerabilities of freedom of expression.

“Protecting freedom of expression requires States to uphold human rights, but when the world’s most powerful government threatens to use its political and economic weapons – from tariffs to sanctions – to dissuade other States from regulating its digital and AI companies, then freedom of expression becomes fodder for geopolitics, a commodity for trade,” Khan said in a statement.

The special rapporteur said that the use of counter-terrorism laws and other similar legislation in connection to national security has been intensified to prosecute journalists, human rights defenders, and pro-democracy activists.

Specifically, the UN expert cited the weaponization of terrorism financing laws in the Philippines, highlighting the Filipino journalist’s case that has dragged on for several years.

While she did not mention Cumpio’s name in her report, Khan has been campaigning for her immediate release, being the first journalist in the country convicted for terrorism financing. Her case was also included in the “most urgent” press freedom cases in the world in 2026 compiled by One Free Press Coalition.

In January 2024, Khan visited Cumpio when she was still detained at the Tacloban City Jail. The latter is now detained in the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong.

TIMELINE:The prolonged detention of Filipino journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) agreed with the issues raised by Khan. The group thanked the UN expert for reiterating the weaponization of terrorism financing laws in the Philippines and for citing Cumpio’s case, knowing that fellow Filipino journalist Deo Montesclaros has faced a similar terrorism financing complaint.

“While many cases against human rights defenders have been dismissed for lack of evidence, it is clear that anti-terror laws are wielded by the Philippine government to silence critical voices,” NUJP said in a statement, calling for an assessment of the impact of these laws on the exercise of fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and opinion.

In addition, the group echoed Khan’s insights on the collusion between governments and big tech companies, recounting the unaddressed appeals of human rights defenders on Meta to remove red-tagging social media posts, including those done by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and other state actors despite the Supreme Court ruling that such a labeling practice is a threat to a person’s right to life, liberty, and security.

“Proposed legislations supposedly aiming to combat disinformation, and regulate social media use contain dangerous provisions curtailing freedom of expression and opinion,” NUJP said. “Likewise, mandatory social media regulation can be used for surveillance and undermine the citizens’ right to privacy.”

Read:Swift dev’t of anti-disinformation bill alarms groups

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. She was also recognized as Asia’s honorable mention from the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in their annual Press Freedom Awards.

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) earlier said that these recognitions serve as another rejection of the accusations made by the state against the Tacloban-based journalist.

Cumpio, executive director of Eastern Vista, was part of the Tacloban 5 arrested in simultaneous raids in Tacloban City in February 2020.

Of all the charges filed against her, she was convicted, together with church worker Marielle Domequil, for allegedly financing the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Their lawyers already filed a notice before a Tacloban court that they were appealing the conviction to the Court of Appeals. (DAA)

Disclosure: Bulatlat’s editor-in-chief, Ronalyn Olea, is secretary-general of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines

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