Detained journalist in terror financing case denied bail

A TACLOBAN City court has denied the petition for bail filed by detained journalist Frenchie Mae C. Cumpio and lay worker Mariel A. Domequil following their recent conviction for terrorism financing.

Judge Georgina Uy Perez of the Tacloban Regional Trial Court Branch 45 denied the joint motion for bail for lack of merit, according to an order dated Feb. 13. It added that a temporary release creates a “heightened incentive to evade custody.”

“The seriousness of terrorism financing, the substantial penalty imposed, and the accused’s connections to various organizations weigh heavily against the grant of bail pending appeal. These considerations outweigh the interest of the accused in provisional liberty,” the order read.

Ms. Cumpio and Ms. Domequil were sentenced on Jan. 22 to 12-18 years in prison and fined P500,000 each. They sought bail after being cleared of separate explosives charges, saying the law doesn’t bar them from release.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said in a statement that the denial is “unfortunate and unfair,” stating that each day in jail separates Ms. Cumpio from her family and the community whose issues she reported on.

“The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines stands with them through the next stages of this legal battle and until their eventual and much deserved freedom,” the NUJP said. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking