Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Alter Midya
Altermidya Network condemns police violence vs journalists covering DAR protest
The Altermidya Network condemns the attacks on community journalists covering the farmers’ protest at the Department of Agrarian Reform earlier today, October 19. Quezon City police attempted to nab Bulatlat reporter Aaron Ernest Cruz while the protest was ongoing, even as Cruz identified himself as a member of the media and was visibly wearing his press ID. In a video recording, Cruz was seen being surrounded and dragged by police officers, his shirt torn by the apparent manhandling.
Stop the harassment and intimidation of community journalist Marky Casaquite
Altermidya Network condemns the reported harassment, intimidation, surveillance, and threats against Southern Tagalog Exposure (STEX) media worker Marky Casaquite and youth leader Brent Sumague while documenting the situation of Indigenous Molbog communities in Balabac, Palawan. STEX is a member-outfit of Altermidya Network, a national network of independent and alternative media organizations.
Current trend for males 'still alarming'
By Alexandra S. Demaisip Content warning: This article mentions suicide.
The Many Faces of Teresita Abarratigue
By Frenchie Mae Cumpio You would find her at her usual spot even in detention. A five-by-three-meter parcel of land designated as the garden for political prisoners in the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City, now filled with vegetable transplants and budding camote tops, has become Nanay Tessie’s comfort zone. But the small garden is far from the vast fertile land she tilled in Samar, Eastern Visayas.
Frenchie Mae Cumpio's message on National Press Freedom Day
While watching the orchestrated shooting at the Senate back in June, I only thought of one thing: the freedom of the press is compromised. Those in power are ever-desperate to control and feed the mass media with a coverage unworthy of people’s attention in an attempt to cover- up their atrocities and negligence — as in the Massacre in Toboso, Negros, the flood control scandal, the increasing prices of commodities and other economic issues.
We persist amid continued attacks vs journalists
Tomorrow, August 30, is National Press Freedom Day. It is the first year we are commemorating this day without our colleague, community journalist RJ Nichole Ledesma of Paghimutad-Negros. RJ would have also turned 31 on August 30. We are outraged that justice remains elusive months after being killed by the military in Toboso, Negros Occidental. His birthdate coinciding on the National Press Freedom Day is a painful reminder of the dangerous conditions that Filipino journalists face everyday.
Psychosocial support module for human rights defenders, activists launched
By Chryseis Mactal Human rights defenders and activists need all the mental help they can get. This is the reason why health advocates and supporters have launched a learning package to strengthen the psychological well-being of human rights defenders and activists. Named Mental Health Orientation and Psychosocial Support Module, the program was launched by the Health Action for Human Rights (HAHR) and Council for People’s Development and Governance (CPDG) on August 13.
MSMEs, nagkaisa vs taas-singil sa kuryente
Ni Donna Mae Delfin at Jenny Rose Flores Mas mahirap maging maliit na negosyante sa Pilipinas kaysa sa ibang bansa sa rehiyon. Ito ang hinaing ng mga negosyante, lokal na prodyuser, konsiyumer, at policymakers sa isang konsultasyon tungkol sa taas ng singil ng kuryente at epekto nito sa mga Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) noong Agosto 8 sa Quezon City.
Cumpio, Domequil umapelang baligtarin ang kanilang conviction sa kasong terrorism financing
Ni Chryseis Mactal Naghain ng apela ang mga abogado nina Frenchie Mae Cumpio at Marielle Domequil sa Court of Appeals sa Cebu City noong Agosto 3 para hilinging baligtarin ang hatol na guilty sa kanila sa kasong terrorism financing ng Tacloban City Regional Trial Court Branch 45. Ayon sa human rights lawyer na si Julianne Agpalo, walang batayan ang conviction sa dalawang aktibista ng paglabag sa Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 (TFPSA).
Mga hagit sang Dugwak
Ni JENNY PAPASIN Minsan akong nagawi sa Asyenda Luisita, Tarlac para makipag-aralan at makipamuhay sa mga magbubukid. Sa batayan ng lawak ng dagat sa kinalakihan kong isla, magkakahitsura sa akin doon ang “walang hanggan” sa lupa. Sa loob kasi ng asyenda, lagpas sa kayang abutin ng tanaw ang hangganan ng lupang kinamkam ng túbo at tubô. Dito rin marahil nakatitig ang mga Negrense, sinisikap na baguhin ang salansan ng lupaing kinatitirikan, tinipak sa tinipak.
Residenteng kontra-mina, kinasuhan ng cyberlibel
Naghain ang North Luzon Mineral Resources Corporation (NLMRC) ng cyberlibel complaint laban sa isang residente ng Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya na lumalaban sa mineral exploration ng naturang kumpanya ng mina sa tinatayang 4,456 ektaryang lupa sa kanilang lugar. Isinampa ng NLMRC ang kaso laban sa residenteng si Lei Jim Dugay sa pamamagitan ni Jaime Atayde, representative ng kumpanya.
Overturn the unjust conviction! Free Frenchie Mae Cumpio!
The lawyers of Frenchie Mae and Marielle Domequil will appeal the conviction today at the Court of Appeals. The two were convicted wrongfully fo terrorism financing early this year. We maintain that the ruling of the Tacloban Regional Trial Court, issued by Judge Georgina Uy-Perez, should be overturned. Altermidya questions the prosecution’s case, which leaned heavily on the testimonies of “fake surrenderees”, acting under Philippine Army’s protection.
Filipinos across Northeastern US condemn Marcos' SONA, US-PH ties Original
By Kristine Villanueva NEW YORK CITY — More than 200 Filipinos and allies from across the Northeastern United States rallied in front of the Philippine Consulate General and Cerberus Capital Management on Monday, condemning President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) and criticizing his administration’s deepening military and economic ties with the US government.
Kampanyang Laya para sa mga bilanggong pulitikal, inilunsad
Ni JOHN AARON CORPORAL at EMMANUEL GATA “Palakasin natin ‘yung kampanya sa national and international level para palayain ang lahat ng bilanggong pulitikal, para ma-raise ang awareness kung sino sila at i-demand sa Marcos administration na palayain sila.” Ito ang panawagan ni Cristina Palabay, pangkalahatang kalihim ng grupong pangkarapatang pantao na Karapatan, sa paglulunsad ng “Laya,” isang kampanya para sa pagpapalaya ng mga bilanggong pulitikal sa Piipinas noong Hulyo 18 sa Bocobo Hall,...
‘Talaingod 13’ case highlights continuing oppression of Mindanao IPs Original
By JAZHEEL C. SARINO Indigenous peoples (IPs) in Mindanao continue to suffer inequality, discrimination, and violence despite making up a significant portion of the region’s population. This was pointed out by lawyer Raymond Marvic Baguilat, senior lecturer and lead legal officer of the University of the Philippines (UP) Law Center Institute of Human Rights, during the Katungod Conference 2026 held on July 15 at the UP Diliman College of Law.
‘Olongapo Solar Project, panganib sa kalikasan, pamayanan’
Nina John Aaron F. Corporal at Emmanuel B. Gata Nagbabala ang mga grupong pangkalikasan at mga residente sa posibleng pinsala sa kalikasan, kabuhayan, at mga komunidad sa Olongapo City dahil sa Olongapo Solar Project at sa planong pagpapalawak nito. “Napakayaman nung bundok, may mga iba’t ibang species ng halaman, puno, ibon, at ng iba pang mga hayop. Kung magpapatuloy yung solar farm phase 2, ito yung mga posibleng mawala doon sa biodiversity or doon sa saribuhay.
A statement of Philippine media organizations and journalists on the pending anti-disinformation bills
The pending anti-disinformation bills confuse the symptoms with the disease. Instead of addressing the political, economic, and technological systems that manufacture and profit from coordinated information manipulation, they place the burden on individual expression and expand government authority over speech. This threatens democratic freedoms while leaving the real drivers of disinformation largely untouched.
Altermidya denounces PNP's claim that no journalist was targeted at anti-US protest Original
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. must think the public is as blind as his subordinates when he said it was difficult to determine who were protesters and who were journalists in the July 22 violent dispersal in Pasay City. The police violence against an otherwise peaceful protest against the visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is already condemnable.
Sustained peace remains elusive in Moroland, experts say Original
By Devian Claire B. Bersales QUEZON CITY — Governance issues, prolonged displacement, political interference, and continuing human rights concerns remain among the biggest challenges confronting the Bangsamoro peace process, experts said in a State of Mindanao Forum held on July 15 at the UP College of Law, University of the Philippines Diliman. Organized by Mindanao Climate Justice (MCJ) and other groups, the forum examined the political, social, and human rights situation across Mindanao.
Hands off Marchel Espina! Hands off community journalists! Original
The legal harassment of journalists has become one of the most persistent threats to press freedom in the Philippines. Increasingly, media workers are being dragged to court not because they have committed crimes, but because their journalism has offended powerful interests. Such cases are meant to intimidate, consume time and resources, and discourage critical reporting.
Pagtambak ng US ng basura sa Subic, pinapaimbestigahan
Nina Ronald Sayson at Ayesha Tale “Nakikita natin ito bilang sovereignty issue, environmental issue, na dapat po kagyat na i-address sa isang imbestigasyon.” Ito ang panawagan ni Atty.
Mga tsuper ng jeep sa Katipunan, nanganganib mapaalis
Nina Moi Balisacan and Jahzeel Sarino Umaalma ang mga tsuper ng jeepney sa Katipunan Jeepney Terminal sa nakaambang pagpapaalis sa kanilang terminal. Bibigyang-daan ang itatayong parke sa ilalim ng Urban Regreening and Renewal Program ng Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). Ayon sa mga tsuper, malaking banta ito sa kanilang kabuhayan at sa akses ng publiko sa pampublikong transportasyon sa lugar.
Ending culture of violence in schools, communities
Jaazeal Jakosalem The Filipino phrase “utak pulbura”—literally translated as “gunpowder brain”—aptly describes a rigid, militaristic mindset that views violence and force as the ultimate solutions to societal friction. Today, this mindset is no longer confined to battlefields or police operations. It has begun to colonize our public spaces, creeping insidiously into our schools and embedding itself within the psyche of the youth.
Advocates launch campaign, call for full probe on Negros 19 case
By Devian Bersales and Jahzeel Sarino QUEZON CITY—Families of the victims and human rights advocates called for a more thorough investigation into the deaths of 19 individuals in Toboso, Negros Occidental, launching the Justice for Negros 19 Campaign Network at the UP Diliman College of Media and Communication Auditorium on June 24.
On the “Anti-Fake News and Digital Disinformation Act”
Altermidya raises concern over the proposed “Anti-Fake News and Digital Disinformation Act” or House Bill (HB) 2697, sponsored by presidential son Rep. Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, and backed by House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III. We believe that it is a dangerous measure that potentially threatens free expression, press freedom, and the people’s right to dissent.
Woggle pulls out equipment amid community barricade in Dupax
Dupax del Norte, Nueva Vizcaya — After weeks of sustained barricade and community resistance, Woggle Corporation has agreed to pull out its remaining drilling equipment from Sitio Keon in Barangay Bitnong. The agreement was reached during a dialogue on May 5 between the company and members of the Dupax del Norte Environmental Defenders (DDN), facilitated by the local government through Vice Mayor Asuncion.
Justice for RJ Ledesma! Free Frenchie Mae Cumpio! Defend Press Freedom!
Altermidya commemorates World Press Freedom Day amid grief and outrage. We condemn the killing and demand justice for our colleague, community journalist RJ Ledesma, and the rest of Negros 19. We also call for the freedom of community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, as well as Marielle Domequil, who remain unjustly imprisoned on baseless charges.
Statement on the Killing of RJ Nichole Ledesma
Altermidya Network mourns the killing of our colleague RJ Nichole Ledesma, writer and editor of Paghimutad‑Negros and regional coordinator of Altermidya in Negros Island. RJ was killed in a supposed military operation in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, Negros Occidental on April 19. But he was in the area doing community work and immersion reporting on the effects of renewable energy projects – including solar farm expansion and windmill projects – on vulnerable farmer communities.
What the Blood on Our Soil Is Telling Us
The news from Toboso is not just another headline. Nineteen lives were lost in a single armed encounter, human beings, not statistics. On one side were those identified as members of the New People’s Army. On the other, soldiers of the state. Both Filipino. Both sons of mothers who will now mourn. We must begin not with analysis, but with honesty. Something in our society remains deeply broken, and it continues to produce death.
Outcry against a journalist’s unjust conviction
By Fr. Shay Cullen Journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio is a member of a group of social activists and human rights defenders who were arrested in Tacloban City on Feb. 7, 2020. She and a companion, church worker Marielle Domequil, were charged with illegal possession of firearms. In July 2020, murder and attempted-murder charges were filed against Cumpio, and in October 2021, the charge of terrorism financing was added to her case.
NGOs renew call for journalist’s release as lawyers seek review of unjust conviction
On 23 March 2026, the judge is scheduled to decide on the defence’s motion for reconsideration of Frenchie Mae Cumpio’s conviction for the bogus “financing of terrorism,” along with a motion to reconsider her bail. A coalition of international and local press freedom organisations reiterates that journalists do not belong in jail and that Frenchie Mae Cumpio should be released without further delay. During her arrest in 2020, authorities claimed to have found firearms and grenades in her home.
Oil dependence leaves Philippines vulnerable as West Asia conflict escalates
San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza warned that escalating conflict in West Asia could worsen economic hardship for Filipinos, as rising oil prices worsened by oil speculation ripple through global energy markets. In a pastoral statement, Alminaza said the tension caused by the military aggression of the United States and Israel against Iran highlights deeper structural problems tied to global fossil fuel dependence.
We in the Altermidya Network welcome the statement issued by five UN Special Rapporteurs and independent experts of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) urging the provisional release of Filipino journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and human rights defender Marielle Domequil. Five UN experts expressed alarm over the conviction of Frenchie Mae and Marielle on charges of financing terrorism after nearly six years of pre-trial detention.
Gong Hei Fa Choi. God Bless America.
I have never been to the United States, but in many ways I feel as if I have. In some respects, I feel I know more about it than I do about many other societies. I cannot speak for all Filipinos, but this does not feel like an uncommon condition among us.
When Journalism is Treated as Terrorism*
On February 7, Frenchie Mae Cumpio, a community journalist from Leyte, marks her sixth year in detention—an incarceration that rights and media groups strongly believe stems from her work as a journalist. As a radio broadcaster, Frenchie reported on the lives of farmers, urban poor communities, and disaster survivors in Eastern Visayas—stories rarely covered by national media.
Ang Espasyo ni Frenchie Mae Cumpio
by Mark Saludes | Jan 26, 2026 The Philippine National Police on Jan. 23 dismantled an anti-mining barricade in Dupax del Norte, Nueva Vizcaya, arresting seven residents and clearing the way for mining exploration. The move prompted condemnation and calls for accountability from church leaders,...
By DOMINIC GUTOMANBulatlat.com MANILA – At the start of the year, fisherfolk under the banner of Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya (Pamalakaya) call on the government to review clean energy projects that trample the human rights and welfare of coastal...
Sa Hindi Pagbitaw ni Frenchie Mae Cumpio
Salamat Hanggang ngayon mahigpit ang pagtangan sa kabila ng ligalig at kagipitan Sa gitna ng unos na bumubuhos sa bayan. Dama ko ang pagod mo Na isigaw ang katotohanang pilit na binubura Ng mga ganid na nagpapakalat ng katha At ikaw na nagsusumikap ang ginawa pang agaw-eksena. Kaya salamat Sa pagod at hirap na hindi iniinda Sa minsang pagkalimot ng sariling pangungulila Gayunma’y hindi nawawala ang pagkalinga para sa iba.
Altermidya condemns the guilty verdict on Frenchie Mae Cumpio’s case
We strongly condemn the guilty verdict against our colleague, Frenchie Mae Cumpio. While she was acquitted of charges related to the illegal possession of firearms and explosives, it is deplorable that she was convicted of a terrorism financing charge. We are outraged by the clear injustice of the court decision amid glaring evidence that the charges against Frenchie Mae, Marielle Domequil, and the rest of Tacloban 5 are all fabricated.
Acquit Frenchie Mae Cumpio, Drop all charges against Tacloban 5!
Tomorrow, January 22, our colleague Frenchie Mae Cumpio will face the promulgation of the two trumped-up charges against her at the Tacloban regional trial court. The Altermidya Network, together with all advocates of press freedom and free expression, demands the acquittal and the dismissal of all charges against Frenchie Mae, Marielle Domiquil and the rest of the ‘Tacloban 5’. Frenchie Mae represents the best of the alternative media and community press in the country.
International NGO Coalition Urges Journalist’s Release ahead of expected verdict
January 14, 2025 – A coalition of international and local press freedom organisations is urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to immediately and unconditionally release prominent journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, whose promulgation of judgment in the illegal firearms possession case is set a week from now, on January 22, 2026.
International coalition of NGOs
The international coalition of press freedom NGOs welcomes the decision of the Laoang Regional Trial Court Branch 21 to grant the motion to quash the baseless murder charge filed against community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio. This ruling marks a significant step forward after years of relentless campaigning for her release.
Civil forfeiture case dismissal highlights folly of ‘terrorist’ allegation, trumped-up charges vs Frenchie Mae Cumpio and Marielle Domequil
Altermidya Network welcomes the Court of Appeals’ decision to void the civil forfeiture case filed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) against community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and lay worker Marielle Domequil. The case is in relation to the PHP557,360 confiscated by the raiding team when the two were arrested in 2020.
Mga tripulanteng Pinoy, biktima ng diskriminasyon ng gobyernong US
Ni Renalyn Ramirez Pinosasan at nilagyan ng kadena sa bewang ang tripulanteng si Gina Yatar, 43, ng mga tauhan ng United States Customs and Border Patrol (USCBP) dahil sa paratang na kabilang siya sa isang teroristang grupo. Pinilit din umano siyang pumirma sa mga dokumento. Kinuhanan din siya ng litrato. “Noong araw na ‘yun, June 20, pitong Pilipino kami. Ako lang ang mag-isang babae,” saad niya. “Tinatanong nila ako kung may group ba ako na terrorist. Sabi ko ‘wala, wala’.
Stop the harassment of student journalists covering anti-corruption protests
Altermidya Network condemns the apparent attempt by the Philippine National Police–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP–CIDG) to intimidate campus journalist Jacob Vergara Baluyot, associate editor of The Catalyst, after he covered the September 21 Aksyon Kontra Korapsyon protest in Mendiola. Two policemen reportedly visited Baluyot’s residence on Tuesday afternoon to “investigate” the protest.
Stray bullet victim in Mendiola protest was a bystander, says witness
Kenneth Roland Guda & Avon Ang Bryan*, a resident of the University Belt, recounted how he witnessed the shooting of Eric Saber, 35, during the chaos in Recto Avenue, near Mendiola, on September 21, 2025. Eric, he said, was a bystander who took no part in the protest. Saber, a construction worker originally from Paracale, Camarines Norte, has lived in Manila for the last two years. On September 21, while traveling home from Pasay, he found himself stranded on Recto.
‘Goodbye Duterte Youth, Hello Gabriela’
Ni TONYO CRUZ Contributor Masayang umaga ang bumati sa mga tao ngayong araw ng Linggo dahil sa balita na ipo-proklama na ng Comelec ang Gabriela bilang nanalong partylist sa 2025 elections. Paliwanag ni Chairman George Garcia, itinaas ng Comelec mula 63 papuntang 64 ang bilang ng partylist seats alinsunod sa requirement ng batas. Ito ang dahilan bakit ipo-proklama ang Gabriela bilang panalong partylist.
Jalaur River dam violates rights, damages environment – advocates
ILOILO CITY– A group of anti-dam advocates has rejected recent claims of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) that no human rights or environmental laws were violated in the implementation of the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project Stage II (JRMP II).
International NGO Coalition Urges journalist's Release on Philippines' National Press Freedom Day
Ahead of the Philippines’ National Press Freedom Day, a coalition of international and local press freedom organizations is urging President Ferdinand”Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to immediately and unconditionally release community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio. Detained for over five years without conviction, Cumpio’s case raises serious concerns over prolonged pretrial detention and allegations that authorities planted the weapons that led to her arrest.
Altermidya condemns the killing of journalist Anas al-Sharif, 4 others in Gaza
Altermidya – People’s Alternative Media Network condemns in the strongest terms the killing of Anas al-Sharif, a respected Gaza correspondent of Al Jazeera, along with four other remaining Al Jazeera journalists still covering inside the besieged territory. Anas was killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike on August 10, 2025. The Israeli military has openly admitted to the attack but falsely claimed that he was a “Hamas leader”.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Alter
Contact Alter, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack