Religious leaders and human rights advocates have renewed their appeal for the acquittal of Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) lay worker Marielle Domequil and journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, who have been detained since their arrest in 2020.
Domequil concluded her testimony on Monday, May 5, in the ongoing trial for alleged terrorism financing and illegal possession of firearms and explosives—charges supporters describe as baseless and politically motivated.
“The ideology of Stand with Samar-Leyte is to help the marginalized and rural poor,” Domequil testified, as she recounted her human rights and development work under the RMP. She described conducting relief operations in typhoon-hit areas and joining fact-finding missions in communities affected by military abuses.
She also detailed the formation of the Stand with Samar-Leyte campaign, launched in response to what she described as gross human rights violations following then-President Rodrigo Duterte’s Memorandum Order No. 32. The order, she noted, aimed to “suppress lawless violence” in Negros, Bicol, and Samar but led to deadly consequences.
“On the onset of MO 32, there were 27 farmers killed in Samar and Northern Samar,” she said. The campaign was organized to support communities impacted by calamities and military operations, and to call for the order’s repeal.
When asked directly whether she supports violent efforts to overthrow the government, Domequil responded firmly: “No. I am a layworker for the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines.”
In a joint statement issued the same day, Catholic and Protestant leaders condemned what they called a “proforma narrative” used to justify the charges against Domequil and Cumpio, both part of the so-called “Tacloban 5.”
The group called the arrests part of a broader attack on democratic space during the Duterte administration.
“It strains logical thinking and merely appeals to belief in whatever authorities claim that Marielle, a lay missionary, would be possessing explosives,” the statement read.
They pointed to the political context of the arrests, referencing the former president’s ongoing trial at the International Criminal Court.
“Five years past now brings into focus and impels reflection on the conduct of state forces, who followed a president now detained at The Hague for his trial on crimes against humanity,” they said.
Domequil had previously testified: “Frenchie is a journalist, and I am a lay community worker. We have no need of guns and ammunition.”
Calling for the charges to be dropped, the statement added: “We pray for the swift resolution of this case and acquittal of the Tacloban 5, with God’s help. Serving the poor is not a crime!”
The statement was signed by more than 60 religious leaders, including Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos, Bishop Eugenius Cañete of Gumaca, and representatives of Catholic and Protestant congregations and justice ministries.
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