Philippines court brands ‘solidarity as terrorism’ say churches after convictions

‘This conviction reflects a disturbing and persistent pattern of the government targeting people’s organisations and church ministries, criminalising service among the poor and oppressed.’

Protestant churches in the Philippines condemned the conviction of a journalist and a Catholic lay worker in a high-profile case of terrorism financing.

In a statement on 26 January, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) said it was “deeply dismayed and gravely disturbed by this unjust conviction” of community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and Marielle Domequil, a lay worker of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP).  

The NCCP, the biggest council of Protestant churches in the Catholic-majority country, said Cumpio and Domequil “remain punished for their commitment to justice and truth”. The group said the funds seized from them had been meant for helping peasants, typhoon victims and communities that suffer military abuses.

“By declaring acts of compassion and solidarity as terrorism, the court has rendered helping the poor a criminal act,” said the NCCP. 

“This conviction reflects a disturbing and persistent pattern of the government targeting people’s organisations and church ministries, criminalising service among the poor and oppressed,” it continued. “The criminalisation of Christian service to the vulnerable is an assault on the very heart of our faith and mission.”

The NCCP said that instead of “criminalising dissent”, Filipino authorities “must open pathways for dialogue, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly”. 

RMP, in a separate statement, said the “unjust conviction” of both Cumpio and Domequil poses a threat to other journalists and mission volunteers.

“When anyone can be subjected to fabricated and manufactured testimony, the dangers of mission and the risks in helping marginalised communities grows significantly,” it said.

Activists said the case of Cumpio and Domequil forms part of the bigger problem of “red-tagging”, falsely labelling government critics as communist insurgents. 

Religious groups including the Catholic Church have opposed the red-tagging of activists and journalists. They are also among the staunchest advocates of resuming peace talks between communist rebels and the Philippine government, which then-president Rodrigo Duterte ended in 2017. 

The Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) is waging Asia’s longest-running communist insurgency. The Philippine government classes the CPP-NPA as a “terrorist organisation”, following a formal proclamation signed by Duterte nearly a decade ago.

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