Short answer. No. Article 131 of the Revised Penal Code makes it a criminal offense for a public officer or employee to prohibit or hinder any person from addressing a petition to the authorities for the correction of abuses or redress of grievances. The same penalty applies whether acting alone or with others.
What the law says
The same penalty shall be imposed upon any public officer or employee who shall prohibit or hinder any person from addressing, either alone or together with others, any petition to the authorities for the correction of abuses or redress of grievances.
Revised Penal Code, Article 131 — Prohibiting, Interrupting Or Dissolving A Peaceful Meeting. Read the full provision →
Three rights protected by Article 131
Article 131 protects three related rights against interference by public officers. First, the right to hold peaceful meetings — an officer cannot prohibit, interrupt, or dissolve one without legal ground. Second, the right to join lawful associations and attend their meetings — an officer cannot hinder either. Third, the right to petition the government — an officer cannot prevent anyone from sending a petition to the authorities for the correction of abuses or redress of grievances, whether that person acts alone or together with others.
The right to petition is broad
The protection covers petitions addressed to the authorities — any branch of government, any agency, any public official. It does not require a formal legal petition or a specific format. A letter to a congressman, a complaint to a barangay official, a group manifesto to a government agency — all of these are petitions covered by this right. The officer cannot intercept, block, confiscate, or otherwise obstruct the person from sending or delivering such a petition.
The penalty and what it requires
The penalty under Article 131 is prisión correccional in its minimum period. Note that the offense for blocking meetings requires that it be done without legal ground. That qualifier applies to the meeting-dissolution provision; the petitioning right does not appear to have a similar qualification in the text. Any public officer or employee who acts to block a petition assumes significant legal risk, because the right to petition the government is also constitutionally protected, giving this offense a constitutional dimension beyond the Revised Penal Code.
What to do if your right is being blocked
If a public officer refuses to transmit your petition, returns it to you, tells you that you may not file it, or physically prevents delivery, that officer may be criminally liable under Article 131. Document the obstruction as specifically as possible — who, what they said or did, date, location. The fact that the officer may have authority over you in some capacity (your employer, your supervisor in a government agency) does not give them the right to block your petition to a separate authority. A lawyer can assess whether the specific conduct meets the elements of the offense.