After more than four years, the Caloocan City Municipal Trial Court Branch 49 acquitted Rex Margallo of the fabricated direct assault charge filed against him on January 20. Margallo is the Caloocan Urban Poor Coordinating Council spokesperson and United People’s Against Corruption-Caloocan convenor.

South Caloocan Police Department’s PSSG Baldev Singh Doal Jr filed the case against Margallo in June 2021 for helping vendors of Barangay Bagong Silang Phase 10 who were then being assaulted during a clearing operation led by the combined forces of the PNP, barangay, and local government. Margallo also suffered Red-tagging, surveillance, and harassment after the incident. The Caloocan city government planned to forcibly deprive vendors of their livelihood in favor of big businesses like Puregold and Dali.

Margallo said his acquittal is a victory for all activists and human rights defenders also facing fabricated charges. He said it proves that the continuing fight for human rights is just and necessary.