CA voids forfeiture case against journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and Mariel Domequil

The Court of Appeals (CA) has voided the forfeiture case against journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and human rights advocate Mariel Domequil, citing insufficient factual and legal basis.

Cumpio and Domequil, part of the "Tacloban 5," were arrested in February 2020 on charges of illegal possession of firearms and alleged terrorism financing.

The CA overturned the Manila Regional Trial Court's (RTC) decision, which had granted the civil forfeiture case brought by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

The amount seized by the AMLC in December 2022 totaled P557,360.

The appellate court stated there was a lack of reason to believe the two were connected to the New People's Army (NPA) and advised against "hasty labelling" of human rights advocates as terrorists.

The CA emphasized that measures to counter terrorism must not be done without due process and at the expense of human rights defenders.