MANILA, Philippines – A man was arrested for interrupting the Independence Day speech of President Rodrigo Duterte in Kawit, Cavite.

Francis Rafael, a 20-year-old protester, was collared by cops on Tuesday, June 12, after he shouted “Huwad na kalayaan!” (False freedom!) as Duterte delivered his speech on the historic balcony of Emilio Aguinaldo’s house.

“The abovenamed suspect without permissions of the law, did then and there willfully, unlawfully and feloniously disturb, interrupt public order at the said occasion,” the police report states.

Cops said Rafael will face a complaint for allegedly violating Article 153 of the Revised Penal Code, which prohibits the disturbance of official public gatherings.

He was the only person arrested from the crowd that heckled Duterte. Others, police said, were able to run away.

Seized from Rafael was a placard reading, “KAPAYAPAAN PARA SA LAHAT AT LAHAT PARA SA KAPAYAPAAN [NG] BAYAN” (Peace for all, and all for the peace of the nation).

The cops made the arrest despite Duterte himself saying that it was the right of the demonstrators to hold a protest. (READ: Duterte on Independence Day: Protect democracy, cherish PH sovereignty)

“Hayaan mo lang (Let it be)…. Our Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and free expression. I will just advise the law enforcement to just deal with them peacefully and [follow] maximum tolerance,” Duterte said.

But for cops, the protesters may only invoke the rights mentioned by the President if they had secured a permit. They did not, according to Police Officer 2 Mark Joseph Arayata.

“Karapatan, pero kailangan may kaukulang permit. Pero wala silang maipakitang permit kaya natin siya kakasuhan,” Arayata told Rappler in a phone interview on Tuesday.

(They have rights, but they also need the proper permit [to rally]. But they weren’t able to show a permit, so we’re filing a case against him.) – Rappler.com