MANILA, Philippines--A third hunger striker was rushed to the hospital after 10 days of food fast to protest Secretary Lito Atienza's issuance of a mining clearance to Norway-based Intex Resources.

The protester, a village chief from Victoria town in Oriental Mindoro, was brought to the East Avenue Medical Center on Thursday after having difficulty of breathing, said Roslyn Arayata, policy officer of the national alliance Alyansa Tigil Mina (Alliance to Stop Mining).

Two Mangyan protesters were taken to the same hospital over the weekend after days without solid food intake.

The hunger strikers have been camped outside the Department of Environment and Natural Reources since November 17 demanding the immediate revocation of the environmental compliance certificate (ECC) issued by Atienza to the Mindoro Nickel Project.