The Detention of the Tacloban Five

Human rights groups condemn the conviction of journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, church worker Marielle Domeguil and activists Marissa Cabaljao, Mira Legion, and Alexander Philip Abinguna, seeing their jailing as a means to intimidate journalists and activists from being critical of the government.

I've been occasionally making cartoons highlighting the case of the Tacloban 5 after seeing other cartoonists use their work to crusade for causes that they believe in. Nicaraguan cartoonist Pedro Molina did a cartoon series about the victims of the Ortega crackdown in 2018. Venezuelan cartoonist Rayma Suprani did a cartoon series highlighting women political prisoners to make sure that they are not forgotten by the community.

One of the mottos that political cartoonists hold is that our work is supposed to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. One of a political cartoonist's biggest responsibilities to to speak for those who have no voice.

REFERENCES
"‘A MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE’: Altermidya condemns the guilty verdict on Frenchie Mae Cumpio’s case" a statement by Altermidya
https://www.altermidya.net/a-miscarriage-of-justice-altermidya-condemns…

"CA upholds ruling: No proof money seized from Cumpio, Domequil linked to terrorism" by Franck Dick Rosete for Bulatlat
https://www.bulatlat.com/2026/04/19/ca-upholds-ruling-no-proof-money-se…

"From tambay to tibak: ‘Jolly’ Chakoy committed to defending human rights" by Aizel Tugalon for Bulatlat
https://www.bulatlat.com/2024/12/19/from-tambay-to-tibak-jolly-chakoy-c…

"CPJ condemns ‘absurd’ prison sentence of up to 18 years for Philippine journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio" by the Committee to Protect Journalists
https://cpj.org/2026/01/cpj-condemns-absurd-prison-sentence-of-up-to-18…

"Frenchie Mae Cumpio, Marielle Domequil, and Alexander Abinguna" by Freedom Now
https://www.freedom-now.org/cases/frenchie-mae-cumpio-et-al/

"Journalist and community worker convicted: Alexander Philip “Chakoy” Abinguna, Frenchie Mae Cumpio and Marielle Domequil" by Amnesty International
https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa35/0758/2026/en/