Environment groups decry police ‘harassment’ over Nueva Vizcaya mining

MANILA, Philippines — Environmental groups on Thursday condemned the Philippine National Police (PNP) for allegedly harassing organizers barricading in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya to stave off a mining venture there.

The groups, spearheaded by the Kasibu Intertribal Response for Ecological Development (Kired), took their grievances to a protest staged outside the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

“Kami ay hina-harass ng mga kapulisan doon. Kinakasuhan kami ng mga kasong grave coercion, mga cyber libel cases dahil handa kami ipagtanggol ang aming lugar,” Kired organizer Leijin Dugay said in an interview on the sidelines of the protest.

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(We’ve been harassed by the police there. They charge with grave coercion and cyber libel just because we’re prepared to defend our land.)

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READ: 3 IP leaders protesting mining venture out on bail

Dugay was among three indigenous people (IP) leaders who had been arrested during negotiations between the residents and the police last August 19.

She was then released on bail.

She pointed out that, nine days after her arrest, 11 more of their fellow residents had been arrested for the same offenses.

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“Sobrang mahalaga yung aming lupa doon kasi doon talaga kami kumukuha ng aming kabuhayan. Agricultural saka watershed area yung sa amin na hindi dapat pwedeng minahin ng dambuhalang pagmimina,” Dugay explained.

(Our land is very important because that’s where we get our livelihood. Our land is an agricultural and watershed area that should not be subjected to widespread mining.)

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READ: Gov’t study spells out need for mining sustainability

For his part, also at the protest, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary-general Mong Palatino decried the alleged harassment by police.

“Nakaka-alarma itong trend,” he maintained.

(This trend is alarming.)

“Itong mga nakaraang buwan, ang pulis, agresibo, marahas sa dispersal ng mga protesta. Binubuwag ang mga barikada sa mga pamayanan na may pagtutol sa pagmimina at nagsasampan ang mga harassment cases sa mga aktibista,” he added.

(These past few months, the police have been aggressive and violent in their dispersal of protesters. They take down the barricades in communities defending themselves against mining and they file harassment cases against activists.)

Palatino particularly cited the arrest of five paralegals assisting rallyists at a protest decrying Pax Silica outside a Taguig City hotel, where President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had attended a forum to court foreign investors earlier this September.

Pax Silica is a United States-led initiative that seeks to strengthen supply chains for critical minerals and artificial intelligence infrastructure through measures including the establishment of a hub in Central Luzon.

In a briefing in Camp Crame later on Thursday, PNP public information chief Col. Allen Rae Co defended the police’s actions in Nueva Vizcaya.

“We can sympathize. We understand yung kanilang opinyon regarding the mining activity ongoing there. But, they cannot prevent yung mining companies from going in,” Co explained.

(We can sympathize. We understand their opinion regarding the mining activity ongoing there. But, they cannot prevent the mining company from going in.)

“Hindi tayo nanghihimasok. Hindi tayo nagbibigay ng opinyon as to whether the mining being done there is right for the environment. Ang alam lang natin is they are allowed to do that,” he asserted.

(We’re not entrenching their rights. We’re not giving an opinion as to whether the mining being done there is right for the environment. All we know is the mining company is allowed to do that.)

“Ang mga nagpoprotesta, they are allowed to express their views. Ito ay dapat i-express sa proper forum, hindi dapat sa kalsada na mangha-harass sila ng empleyado sa legal na gawain,” he added.

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(The protesters are allowed to express their views. But, this should be expressed at the proper forum, not on the streets where they harass employees with legal work.) /mr