FPU and partners nominate imprisoned Philippine journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio for UNESCO Guillermo Cano Prize
Together with international and Philippine partners, FPU nominated imprisoned journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio from the Philippines for the 2026 UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. The prize awarded by UNESCO honours: "a person, organisation or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defence and, or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, and especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger".
Detained since 2020, Cumpio is the director of Eastern Vista, a media organisation affiliated with the independent AlterMidya network. She also hosted a radio programme on Aksyon Radyo-Tacloban DYVL, where she reported on abuses committed by the military and police before her arrest. Cumpio’s case highlights the disturbing “red-tagging” practice in the Philippines, used to label journalists as “subversive” when they cover issues deemed as sensitive. In the months leading up to her arrest, she had been subjected to close surveillance and relentless harassment, but this did not deter her from pursuing her investigations, demonstrating her resilience as a journalist.
A baseless conviction
On 22 January 2026, on the eve of her 27th birthday, journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio was convicted based on trumped-up “terrorism financing”charges, despite independent investigations that demonstrated the baseless and politically motivated nature of the case. We consider this verdict to be a serious undermining of justice and a dangerous abuse of anti-terrorism legislation to silence independent journalism in the Philippines.
FPU and the #FreeFrenchieMaeCumpio coalition have consistently pleaded for her release as there is a lack of credible evidence in her case. We consider her conviction a serious miscarriage of justice and a dangerous abuse of counterterrorism legislation to silence independent journalism in the Philippines.The #FreeFrenchieMaeCumpio coalition includes CPJ, RSF, FPU, as well as Philippine media groups AlterMidya and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.
The awarding of the UNESCO/Cano Prize to Frenchie Mae Cumpio, the only journalist imprisoned in the Philippines, would be a very welcome recognition of her courage and perseverance as a young journalist speaking truth to power.
The winner will be announced by the Director General of UNESCO at an official ceremony on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, on 3 May 2026.
