Police authorities arrested John Tabada Ruiz, vice president of Makabayan Visayas and a prominent Central Visayas activist, at his residence in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City on August 31, 2026.
The arrest was carried out based on a warrant for attempted murder issued by the Regional Trial Court in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
Ruiz was taken into custody soon after joining a National Heroes Day protest at University of the Philippines Cebu. He maintains he has never joined any armed group and says the accusations are made up to silence critics and discourage activism.
Ruiz was said to be the person “most wanted” in the province and to have been accused of taking part in an armed incident in Negros Occidental in early 2024 – a claim which he firmly denies.
Ruiz posted bail on September 2, 2026, and is due to appear at the Regional Trial Court Branch 55 in the case of attempted murder. He asked why the cases brought against him concerned incidents that took place in Negros Occidental when he is based in Cebu City.
Human rights groups Karapatan and Bayan Muna both condemned the arrest, describing it as part of a wider pattern of harassment and criminalization of activists in the region.
According to Karapatan Central Visayas, the warrant and its circumstances raise serious due process concerns: On the one hand, the accused was not given copies of the complaint or subpoenas. On the other hand, he had no opportunity to respond to the allegations before the warrant was issued.
The same warrant of arrest also named activists Jhonggie Rumol and Dyan Gumanao.
In 2023, human rights defender Dyan Gumanao was, together with her partner Armand Dayoha, disappeared in Cebu City allegedly by state security forces. Both were questioned and subjected to psychological abuse before being compelled to sign documents which were given to them as evidence of her alleged “surrender.”
Jhonggie Rumol, former Executive Director of the Visayas Human Development Agency (ViHDA) and currently its consultant, has also faced repeated persecution for her work as a community development worker.
The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) condemned the charges against Ruiz, Rumol and Gumanao, saying their cases show how activists and human rights defenders can be repeatedly dragged into criminal proceedings simply because of their political and community work.
Photo © Karapatan