Church Advocacy Group Condemns Conviction of Activists as 'Travesty of Justice'
The Promotion of Church People's Response has voiced profound alarm over what it describes as a travesty of justice following the Regional Trial Court's decision to convict journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and lay community worker Marielle Domequil for alleged violations of the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012.
Questioning the Prosecution of Youth Advocates
In a statement released by spokesman Rev. Homar Distajo, the organization highlighted the contradiction in a nation that professes to believe the youth are the hope of our nation while persecuting individuals like Marielle and Frenchie, who have devoted their talents and skills to serving marginalized communities. The group emphasized that these young women, arrested in their early 20s, chose a path of servanthood, focusing on organizing and teaching communities to demand services from what they describe as a corrupt government.
Acquittal on Original Charges Raises Concerns
The case has drawn scrutiny due to the fact that Cumpio and Domequil were acquitted of the original charges that prompted their arrest during a dead of night raid on February 7, 2020. These charges involved illegal possession of firearms and explosives, which the court ultimately found insufficient for conviction. According to the church group, this acquittal makes it clear that the two were targets of lawfare by militarist state forces, with courts and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) weaponizing terrorism legislation to discourage justice work and silence dissent.
Second Charge Filed While in Detention
After six years, the court ruled that Frenchie and Marielle were not guilty of the original illegal possession charges. However, while already in detention, a second charge was filed against them: terrorism financing. This stemmed from a cash box containing P557,360 discovered during the raid, funds that were not included in the original search warrant. The government later filed a forfeiture case for these funds, but in October 2025, the Court of Appeals denied the forfeiture, citing insufficient factual and legal basis.
Court of Appeals Decision Highlights Due Process Concerns
The Court of Appeals decision stated, The Court cannot countenance the hasty labeling of human rights advocates as terrorists and the speedy confiscation of their funds and property in the name of national security. Measures to counterterrorism must not be done without due process, and at the expense of individuals, groups, and civil society organizations engaged in the promotion and defense of human rights. This ruling raises questions about the sensibility of the criminal conviction for terrorism financing, according to the church group.
Systemic Injustice and Weaponization of Law
The Promotion of Church People's Response argues that the nation suffers from systemic injustice, corruption, and the plunder of natural resources, making it an outrage that the law is weaponized against those who help the marginalized. Despite this, the group notes that hope flourishes, with youth like Frenchie and Marielle continuing to side with the poor and reinvigorate activism in relevant ways.
Call to Action and Defense of Youth
The organization calls for continued advocacy, stating that Cumpio and Domequil are unjustly detained as victims of a State that punishes youth not for criminal acts, but for activism and caring for their kapwa (fellow human beings). They urge the public to speak up, with a rallying cry: Free Marielle and Frenchie! Defend the youth!
