Short answer. No. Article 131 of the Revised Penal Code makes it a criminal offense for any public officer or employee to prohibit, interrupt, or dissolve a peaceful meeting without legal ground. The same article also protects the right to join lawful associations and to petition authorities for redress of grievances.
What the law says
any public officer or employee who, without legal ground, shall prohibit or interrupt the holding of a peaceful meeting, or shall dissolve the same
Revised Penal Code, Article 131 — Prohibiting, Interrupting Or Dissolving A Peaceful Meeting. Read the full provision →
What Article 131 prohibits
The Revised Penal Code punishes three distinct acts when done by a public officer or employee. First, prohibiting, interrupting, or dissolving a peaceful meeting without legal ground. Second, hindering any person from joining a lawful association or attending its meetings. Third, prohibiting or hindering any person from addressing a petition to the authorities for the correction of abuses or redress of grievances. All three carry the same penalty: prision correccional in its minimum period.
The phrase 'without legal ground' matters
The law does not say that meetings can never be stopped — it says they cannot be stopped without legal ground. A genuine threat to public safety, a court order, or a permit condition actually violated could constitute a legal ground. What the article bars is an officer acting on personal preference, political pressure, or mere convenience. If no legal basis exists at the time of the interruption, the officer is exposed to criminal liability regardless of rank or position.
Petitions to government are equally protected
The third clause is worth noting if your situation involves a group trying to deliver a letter or memorandum to a government office. Article 131 extends its protection beyond meetings and associations to the act of addressing a petition to the authorities — alone or together with others — for the correction of abuses or redress of grievances. An officer who blocks that petition, without legal ground, faces the same criminal exposure as one who breaks up a rally.
What this means if it happened to you
If a public officer stopped or threatened to stop a meeting, association activity, or petition drive you were part of, and did so without citing any legal basis, you may have grounds for a criminal complaint under Article 131. The conduct needs to be documented: who gave the order, what exactly was said, who witnessed it, and whether any written directive was issued. This article covers the criminal side; civil liability for the harm caused may arise separately under other provisions. A lawyer can help you assess the full picture for your specific facts.