Journalists group calls for release of Cumpio

1 week ago 5

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TACLOBAN CITY— BASED journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio is among the journalists mentioned by the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Thursday who are imprisoned.

In a statement posted on its website, the nongovernment organization called for the release of Cumpio, along with Sevinj Vagifgizi of Azerbaijan, Pham Doan Trang of Vietnam and Sandra Muhoza of Burundi who are all women journalists under threat in other countries.

"A 25-year-old journalist, Frenchie Mae Cumpio faces a 40-year prison sentence on false charges of 'illegal possession of firearms' and 'financing terrorism'," the RSF said.

"Her case highlights the alarming practice of 'red-tagging' in the Philippines, where journalists are labeled as subversive agents and even terrorists for covering topics deemed sensitive by authorities," the RSF added.

The campaign to free Cumpio is among ten priority campaigns of RSF for 2025, which includes the topics of artificial intelligence and journalism, supporting journalists in conflict zone, upholding media pluralism and independence in France, and how they can respond to obstacles to press freedoms posed by the new administration in the United States.