A Philippine court’s conviction of journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and community worker Marielle Domequil on terrorism financing charges has drawn condemnation from rights groups, who allege the case exemplifies a pattern of political persecution under the Marcos Jr. Administration. The verdict, handed down January 22 by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 45 in Tacloban City, Leyte, sentenced Cumpio to between 12 and 18 years in prison, and Domequil to the same range.
Cumpio, a community journalist, and Domequil, a lay worker with the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, were arrested in February 2020 following raids on offices in Tacloban City. They were among five activists, collectively known as the “Tacloban 5,” detained following the raids. Marissa Cabaljao and Mira Legion, also arrested, were later granted bail on charges of illegal possession of firearms. Alexander Philip “Chakoy” Abinguna remains in pretrial detention, facing additional charges of double murder and attempted murder, according to CIVICUS and Amnesty International.
The court acquitted Cumpio and Domequil of charges related to illegal possession of firearms and explosives, citing unreliable witnesses and inconsistent narratives regarding the alleged planting of evidence. However, the same court found them guilty of terrorism financing based on testimonies from four “rebel returnees” – individuals who claim to have defected from the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. These witnesses testified they saw Cumpio and Domequil at an NPA camp in March 2019, allegedly providing cash, ammunition, and clothing to an NPA commander.
Defense lawyers presented evidence placing Cumpio and Domequil elsewhere on the date in question, along with documentation of their activities. This evidence was dismissed by the court. The conviction follows a 2025 Court of Appeals decision overturning a civil forfeiture case against Cumpio and Domequil, which found little evidence linking them to the NPA and cautioned against labeling human rights workers as terrorists, according to Amnesty International.
Kyle A. Domequil, spokesperson for the Free Tacloban 5 Network, denounced the verdict, stating it was a continuation of political persecution. “Today, Judge Georgina Perez of RTC Branch 45 chose to prolong the suffering of Ate Maye, Ate Frenchie, our family, and fellow human rights workers,” Domequil’s sister said, using affectionate terms for Marielle Domequil. The network has rejected the ruling and condemned the use of the courts as instruments of political persecution.
The National Task Force to Conclude Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), a government body known for red-tagging activists and journalists, celebrated the conviction as a “decisive legal victory against terrorism.” NTF-ELCAC has repeatedly accused Karapatan, a human rights organization, of being a communist front. Rights groups argue that red-tagging creates a climate of fear and justifies arbitrary arrests and violence.
According to Karapatan, We find approximately 700 political prisoners in the Philippines. The organization documents a pattern of arbitrary imprisonment, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and militarization. Karapatan asserts that the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 have been used to persecute critics and suppress dissent.
Cumpio and Domequil are appealing the conviction. A bail application filed on February 16 was denied. Abinguna’s trial is ongoing, with the prosecution having presented fewer than half of its listed witnesses, effectively delaying proceedings. The next scheduled court date for Abinguna remains unconfirmed.