Human Rights Watch urged Philippine authorities on Sept. 3 to drop charges against 11 indigenous rights protesters arrested during a police operation to clear an anti-mining blockade in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya province.

At the center of the dispute is a gold and copper exploration permit by the North Luzon Mineral Resources Corp (NLMRC) and competing claims concerning land rights and consultation. The company said it consulted two communities twice in March 2024 and obtained certification from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples stating that the permit area does not overlap with ancestral domain. Residents opposing the project say they hold a Certificate of Land Ownership Award confirming their rights as agrarian reform beneficiaries. They have petitioned the Department of Environment & Natural Resources to cancel the permit, alleging that affected communities were not adequately consulted.

Members of the Bugkalot/Ilangot and other indigenous communities had maintained road barricades since May to oppose NLMRC's exploration activities, before being cleared by the National Police on Aug. 28.

Prosecutors charged the protesters with "grave coercion" under Article 286 and "resistance and disobedience" under Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines. The offenses carry potential prison terms of up to six months.

The arrests punctuate long-standing tensions involving indigenous communities, police and mining operations in Nueva Vizcaya. In 2020, the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines reported that police violently dispersed an indigenous community barricade in Didipio, injuring several people.

The 11 protesters were released on bail Sept. 1, but the charges remain pending. Provincial and municipal officials have since negotiated a temporary agreement under which NLMRC personnel and equipment will remain outside the contested site while talks continue.

From JURIST, Sept. 6. Used with permission.