TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — After more than five years in detention, the Tacloban Regional Trial Court has scheduled the promulgation of the illegal possession of firearms cases involving members of the group known as the Tacloban 5 on January 22, 2026, according to their legal counsel, Thursday, November 13.
Court officials also confirmed that the promulgation of the separate terrorism financing cases of detained journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and lay worker Marielle Domequil is set for February 9, 2026.
Cumpio, Domequil, Marissa Cabaljao, Mira Legion, and Alexander Philip Abinguna, collectively referred to as the Tacloban 5, were arrested in February 2020 during police operations in Tacloban City and have since been facing charges related to firearms, explosives, and alleged financing of terrorism.
Previously, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reported that Cumpio had been charged with double murder and multiple attempted murder linked to a 2019 incident in Northern Samar, but subsequent assessments by RSF and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) reported no material evidence placing her at the scene.
Recently, on November 6, the Laoang, Northern Samar Regional Trial Court nullified the murder charges against Cumpio, citing discrepancies between the identity of the person named in the complaint and the individual arrested.
Cumpio has remained in detention since February 7, 2020, following police raids that also led to the arrest of Domequil, Cabaljao, Legion, and Abinguna.
In a separate legal development, the Court of Appeals of the Philippines recently nullified a civil-forfeiture case brought by the Anti‑Money Laundering Council (AMLC) against Cumpio and Domequil, reversing the forfeiture of ₱ 557,360 seized during the 2020 operations.
Despite these rulings, the group continues to face charges stemming from the 2020 operations, while Abinguna’s separate case also remains active after the trial court denied his motion.
Various media and human rights groups have reiterated calls for the release of the detained individuals as their cases proceed.
Article by Jairra Sey Villar