New York, August 29, 2025–Ahead of National Press Freedom Day in the Philippines on August 30, the Committee to Protect Journalists and partners have called on the country’s president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and his administration to immediately release journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio as her trial nears its conclusion.
The 26-year-old journalist has been held in prison for more than five years, while her trial on charges of illegal possession of firearms and financing terrorism moves slowly through the court. If convicted, she faces up to 40 years in prison.
The #FreeFrenchieMaeCumpio coalition said in a joint statement that Cumpio’s continued detention is a “sobering reminder” of the challenges that journalists face simply for doing their jobs. The coalition includes CPJ, media groups AlterMidya, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Reporters Without Borders, and Free Press Unlimited.
CPJ has been advocating for Cumpio’s release for years. In mid-2022, CPJ wrote to President Marcos Jr., then as president-elect, calling for charges against Cumpio to be dropped, and the following year traveled to eastern Philippines, where she is being held, to advocate for her freedom. CPJ was part of an international coalition that was denied a prison visit in June 2025.
Read the full statement here.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Lauren Wolfe.