TACLOBAN CITY – The Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 45 has denied motions for reconsideration filed by community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and humanitarian worker Mariel Domequil, affirming their conviction for terrorism financing under Republic Act No. 10168, the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012.
In a 15-page decision issued on March 25, Presiding Judge Georgina Uy Perez ruled that the court found no reversible error in fact or law and no compelling reason to overturn the January 22, 2026 judgment. The court also sustained its February 13, 2026 order denying their bail pending appeal, emphasizing the seriousness of the offense.
Cumpio, formerly executive director of the news outlet Eastern Vista, and Domequil, affiliated with the church-based group Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, were accused of providing cash and ammunition to members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Catbalogan City, Samar, on March 29, 2021. The NPA is classified by the Philippine government as a terrorist organization.
While the two were acquitted of separate non-bailable charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives, they remain in custody at the Correctional Institution for Women, following the court’s directive. A mittimus—the official order for their transfer to the penitentiary—will be issued.
Cumpio and Domequil have been in detention since their arrest on February 7, 2020, alongside other human rights activists during a state raid in Tacloban City. Their lawyers had previously indicated plans to file legal remedies before the Court of Appeals.
The court emphasized that the motions merely repeated issues already resolved and reiterated the conviction, which was based on evidence establishing guilt beyond reasonable doubt for violating Section 8(ii) of RA 10168.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
