By MIAGAO, ILOILO – Different Student Publications and Student Councils all across the UP System together with representatives from the College Editors’ Guild of the Philippines and Altermidya-Panay gather to call to #RelaseTacloban5 and #FreeFrenchieMae during the Bi-annual Congress of UP Solidaridad and Kasama sa UP (KSUP) National Congress here at UP Visayas, Miagao.
Today marks the 4th year commemoration of the arrest of #Tacloban5, where different human rights defenders, including Cumpio, were arrested in simultaneous raids in Tacloban last February 7, 2020, and were illegally charged with illegal possession of firearms and terror financing.
Cumpio is the Executive Director of Eastern Vista, a regional alternative media outfit in Eastern Visayas. Cumpio was also an Editor-in-Chief way back in Tanauan National High School in Leyte. In 2016, Cumpio also became the Editor-in-Chief of UP Vista, the official student publication of UP Tacloban.
As a community journalist under Eastern Vista, Cumpio focused on publishing stories regarding the worsening human rights situation in Eastern Visayas during the Duterte administration. Prior to the February 7 raid, Cumpio was subjected to multiple attacks and surveillance.
Until now, Cumpio and others are still detained in Tacloban City Jail. It can be noted that last January 27 this year, Irene Khan of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression visited Cumpio in Tacloban and expressed her disappointment with the progress of Cumpio’s case.
Altermidya-Panay, together with other journalists calls for the immediate release of Frenchie Mae Cumpio and others, and to stop the attacks against journalists./PT
