Karapatan condemned the rearrest of Ryan Ombrog, one of over 200 people arrested after the September 21 protest action. The Valenzuela City Police Station arrested him for the second time on December 18 on simple arson charges.

The arrest was based on a warrant issued by the Manila Regional Trial Court, Branch 182, on December 18. He was arrested during Christmas break, which meant his family can post bail only on January 5, when work in government offices resume.

Ombrog, 28, was a former factory worker in Valenzuela. He attended an anti-corruption protest on September 21 and was arbitrarily arrested by the Manila PNP. He was released on bail on October 2. His imprisonment lost him his job.

Ombrog said the police threatened to charge him with arson while he was detained in September.

“The police clearly targeted Ombrog, and his rearrest revives his trauma caused by police brutality and unjust arrest,” Karapatan secretary general Christina Palabay said.

“Ombrog is no corrupt official, he is just an ordinary working class Filipino. Now he will spend the New Year behind bars, because he protested against corruption. How about the corrupt? How about the government officials and minions who should be the ones languishing in jail for robbing the people?” Palabay added.

Karapatan called for the dismissal of all cases against those who protested on September 21. It said that these cases are clearly being used only to divert public attention from the real issue of large-scale government corruption.