SAN FERNANDO, Sibuyan Island, Philippines -- Town policemen prevented around a hundred villagers of the village of España here from going to the neighboring village of Taclobo, site of the ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars, where President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was attending a Holy Mass with local officials and residents Tuesday afternoon.

The villagers, among them fisherfolk, town councilors, teachers, church workers and members of the Our Lady of Remedios Parish in España, have organized themselves as the "Sibuyanons against Mining" or SAM.

The group has been protesting mining exploration on the island, saying it posed a danger to the environment. Landslides from Mt. Guiting-Guiting have been occurring more frequently with just a little rain, according to them.

Mt. Guiting-Guiting is the site of nickel operations, which are now at the exploration stage.

Villager Marion Vanessa Narvade made an appeal to Arroyo to stop mining. "It's only floods for now but how much more when the mining (firm) starts to operate, there'd be more landslides," she said.

Domingo Marin, SAM spokesperson, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that since 12 noon police have stopped them from proceeding to the Mass site in sitio Cabitangahan in Taclobo.

He said he counted 28 policemen wearing t-shirts marked with "PULIS" but without IDs and six others who were in police uniform.

Marin added that even a woman who was carrying a sick child was among those stopped.

He claimed that two policemen pointed a gun at them.

Senior Police 4 Clif Vencio of the town's police force, denied that the police pointed a gun at the residents.

He said the people were holding an anti-mining rally. "The activity is a Mass, not a rally," he said.

"Baka magkagulo," (There might be trouble) he said, adding that the residents did not have a permit.

The police were trying to contain the number of people who would attend the Mass because Arroyo was arriving and they wanted to avoid any chaos, explained Vencio.

Earlier announcements said the Mass was originally set at 2 p.m. but it was delayed to 4 p.m.

As of 3 p.m., more than 200 people were already in the village of Taclobo for the Mass.

On Monday, Vice President Noli de Castro arrived on the island, near the wrecked ship, and held a dialogue with the anti-mining advocates. He said public consultations had been held on the matter and the mining operators had been granted licenses.