International Association of Women in Radio and Television - Philippines

14/05/2026

May 14, 2026

The International Association of Women in Radio and Television - Philippines expresses serious concern over the events that unfolded at the Philippine Senate yesterday evening, May 13.

While covering the ongoing standoff, our colleagues, including women journalists, were forced to seek cover after gunshots were reportedly heard within a place that should be a bastion of law, safety, and democratic accountability.

We remind all duty bearers and law enforcement that journalists were there to do our jobs: reporting stories of immense public interest. Our presence is essential to the people’s right to know.

Philippine officials have a fundamental obligation to be truthful and transparent in their conduct. Public office is a public trust, and the actions taken within the halls of the Senate are matters of deep public interest that belong to the people, not to any individual or agency.

Officials and law enforcement must carry out their mandates with integrity and provide honest accounts of their operations, as any obfuscation or deceit undermines the very democracy they are sworn to protect.

The Filipino people deserve nothing less than the truth, and it is the duty of those in power to facilitate, rather than obstruct, the flow of accurate information.

Reference:
Executive Board
International Association of Women in Radio and Television - Philippines

03/05/2026

On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, various international organizations have come together to amplify their call to . She has been accused of financing terrorism and has remained in detention for six years.

Baturu and International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) International have released a two-panel, comic-style illustration portraying Frenchie Mae Cumpio. This initiative is in collaboration with Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), Altermidya, and Human Rights Now.

Artists: Jeune Arambulo (Philippines) and Krittaporn Mahaweerarat (Thailand)

03/05/2026

We continue to demand the immediate release of Frenchie Mae Cumpio. Her ongoing incarceration and the recent January verdict are not just an attack on one journalist; they are an attempt to paralyze the community press. A survivor of storms and a witness to history, Frenchie Mae belongs in the newsroom, not a prison cell. We call on the Philippine government to end this judicial harassment and recognize that journalism is not a crime.

Artist: Krittaporn Mahaweerarat (Ploy) - Thailand

03/05/2026

World Press Freedom Day 2026

As we commemorate World Press Freedom Day, journalists and media workers from various media outlets gathered in Quezon City to demand freedom for Frenchie Mae Cumpio, who has been detained for nearly six years on trumped-up charges, and to call for justice for RJ Ledesma, who was among those killed in the Toboso, Negros massacre.

Both are journalists who reflect the situation faced by truth-tellers today.

The symbolic protest featured participants wearing masks of Frenchie and chanting continuously, “Defend Press Freedom!”, “Free, Free Frenchie Mae!”, and “Justice for RJ Ledesma!”—demonstrating that the commitment to fight for freedom and justice will not cease as long as violence persists in the country.

UP Diliman, Quezon City
May 3, 2026

Photo by Jo Maois Mamangun
(Iya Espiritu/IAWRT Philippines)

22/04/2026

This webinar will examine the ongoing case of detained journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and its broader implications for press freedom and human rights in the Philippines. Arrested in 2020 on alleged terrorism financing charges, her case highlights growing concerns over the criminalization of journalism and the shrinking space for independent media.

Speakers: Julianne Agpalo, legal counsel of Frenchie Mae Cumpio Janess Ann Ellao, Head of IAWRT Philippines Chapter Dabet Castañeda, Secretary of IAWRT Philippines Beh Lih Yi, Committee to Protect Journalists.

Moderated by Violet Gonda, journalist and previous IAWRT President.

The discussion will provide updates on the case, share insights from community media practitioners, and explore how counterterrorism measures impact journalists and press freedom. IAWRT international members will also deliver solidarity messages for Cumpio, joined by Ms. Renuka Sandhwa, Second Secretary (Political) of the British Embassy Manila.

In collaboration with IAWRT Philippines last March 25, 2026.

This webinar will examine the ongoing case of detained journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and its broader implications for press freedom and human rights in the Philippines. Arrested in 2020 on […]

17/03/2026

IN THE NEWS: The International Association of Women in Radio and Television–Philippines (IAWRT) condemned attacks and harassment against women journalists.

The group is also calling for the release of detained community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and denouncing misogynistic remarks targeting women in media and politics.

Their actions come as the world marked International Women’s Day 2026.

Read the full story here:

Frenchie Mae Cumpio (right) is visited at Tacloban City Jail by UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan who was in the country in January on an official trip. —Photo from IRENE KHAN’S OFFICIAL X

17/03/2026

March 13, 2026

On Marcos Jr.’s speech before the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN Headquarters in New York

As women in media, we find a jarring disconnect between President Marcos Jr.’s global rhetoric and the reality on the ground. At the Commission on the Status of Women, he claims women are the "steady strength" of our progress; yet, in our newsrooms and communities, that strength is being tested by state-led harassment and economic neglect.

True empowerment cannot exist while truth-tellers are silenced. The continued detention of our colleague Frenchie Mae Cumpio on charges that have been widely condemned as baseless, exposes the President’s talk of "inclusive justice" as hollow. He cannot champion women’s safety on the world stage while Frenchie Mae remains behind bars at home.

Meanwhile, women journalists are no different from the experience of the wider women community. They, too, bear the brunt of a failing economy. They stretch meager budgets to cover the soaring costs of fuel and food—pressures that hit women-headed households and those in the informal sector the hardest.

For women in media, until the Marcos Jr. administration stops the persecution of journalists and addresses the systemic poverty crushing Filipino families, the promise of gender equality remains nothing more than a polished, empty script.

The International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) holds consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and has organized parallel sessions at the CSW.

Reference:
Executive Board
International Association of Women in Radio and Television - Philippines

08/03/2026

International Women’s Day 2026: Truth-Tellers Under Fire

Today, as the world celebrates the triumphs of women, the International Association of Women in Radio and Television - Philippines stands in firm solidarity with those who use their voices to challenge power, even as that power attempts to silence them. For women in the Philippines and across the globe, the "press freedom" we exercise is often met with a heavy price: judicial harassment, misogynistic vitriol, and state-sponsored intimidation.

Our celebration is not a mere formality; it is an act of defiance.

We carry a heavy heart today for our colleague, Frenchie Mae Cumpio and her continuing detention following the local court’s denial of her petition for bail. Frenchie Mae represents the courage of community journalists who dare to report from the fringes. Her continued incarceration is a glaring reminder that for many women truth-tellers, the "justice system" is being weaponized as a cage.

We also assail the harassment of Regine Cabato and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ). Reporting on the West Philippine Sea is a matter of national sovereignty and public interest. To target a woman journalist for bringing clarity to complex geopolitical conflicts is a cowardly attempt to chill investigative fervor. We will not be intimidated into looking away.

IAWRT Philippines believes that weaponizing a woman’s identity to discredit her work remains the "go-to" tactic for those who are unable to present a valid, much less superior idea on legitimate issues.

We stand with Anne Curtis, who recently found herself the target of a lawmaker’s misogynistic statement. No woman, regardless of her profession or platform, should have her dignity debated on the floor of government.

We denounce the vile, sexist remarks made by lawyer Ferdinand Topacio against Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Elago. Such rhetoric is a desperate attempt to trivialize the leadership of women in the political sphere and has no place in a civilized society.

Within and beyond our borders, our hearts go out to the countless women and children in war-stricken areas as they bear the disproportionate weight of conflict, losing their homes and their safety.

The recent escalations in state-sanctioned violence and the reported military strikes ordered by the Trump administration have left countless women and children in conflict zones caught in the crossfire of geopolitical aggression.

This disregard for life and dignity is mirrored by the slow-moving wheel of justice on the Jeffrey Epstein case, where Trump’s name was frequently mentioned. Despite the recent release of millions of pages of documents, true accountability remains elusive for the powerful enablers of his criminal enterprise. We stand with the survivors who continue to fight for their voices to be heard, even as the system fails to prosecute those shielded by power, wealth and influence.

We recognize that there is no true liberation for women until there is peace and justice for all.

IAWRT Philippines vows continue to write, to broadcast, and to speak. We will not let the noise of hate drown out the signal of truth.

Free Frenchie Mae Cumpio!
Defend Press Freedom!

Reference:
Executive Board
International Association of Women in Radio and Television - Philippines

16/02/2026

February 15, 2026

Denial of Frenchie Mae’s bail exposes state policy to silence truthtellers

The court’s denial of bail for journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio is a travesty that exposes the Philippine government’s systematic policy to harass, silence, and break those who dare to speak truth to power.

By keeping Frenchie Mae behind bars on the basis of fabricated charges, the state continues to weaponize the legal system to chill dissent and blind the public. This is no longer just a trial; it is a protracted state-sanctioned attack on press freedom.

The International Association of Women in Radio and Television - Philippines demands the immediate release of Frenchie. The continued incarceration of Frenchie Mae Cumpio is a loud declaration that under the current administration, the law is used to protect the powerful and punish the brave.

Last month, the same court dismissed the illegal possession of fi****ms charges against Cumpio and church worker Mariel Domequil. #

Reference:
Executive Board
International Association of Women in Radio and Television