11 mining protesters in Nueva Vizcaya released on bail

BAYOMBONG, NUEVA VIZCAYA, Philippines — The 11 residents of Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, who were arrested by police on Aug. 28 on charges of grave coercion and resistance and disobedience, have been released after posting bail on Tuesday.

The 11 were among residents who had barricaded an area in Barangay Paquet to oppose the mining exploration activities of North Luzon Mineral Resources Corp. (NLMRC).

They were arrested when police moved to clear a blockade that allegedly sought to prevent the entry of fuel intended for the company’s exploration activities.

The protesters were ordered to post a total of P401,610 in bail, or P36,510 each.

READ: 11 mining protesters in Nueva Vizcaya appeal for bail aid

Their release came as Bishop Jose Elmer Mangalinao of Bayombong called for a “fair” and “lawful” dialogue between the mining company and villagers opposing its exploration activities.

In a pastoral statement on Sunday, Mangalinao urged authorities to resolve the dispute through “due process” and asked police and the courts to “look beyond the charges” filed against the protesters.

“Let us not look only at the charges written on paper. Let us also see the people behind those charges,” Mangalinao said.

The bishop said the protesters’ poverty should not diminish their rights and questioned what he described as the “haphazard” arrests and mining activities conducted without adequate hearing or consultation.

READ: Nueva Vizcaya residents want mining firm’s permit revoked

“It does not mean that if they are poor, they have fewer rights,” Mangalinao said.

Permit

He also said villagers had the “right” to oppose the exploration because their health, safety and the environment—including their farms, water sources and forests—as well as their children’s future were at stake.

NLMRC obtained a permit in May 2025 for gold and copper exploration covering 4,456 hectares in Barangay Paquet.

The area is claimed by villagers to form part of the ancestral domain of Bugkalot and Ilongot indigenous communities.

Mangalinao, Fr. Christian Dumangeng, an antimining advocate, and other community members have also faced charges over their opposition to the exploration activities.

Their lawyer has raised the possibility that the cases could constitute a strategic lawsuit against public participation, or SLAPP, which he described as an effort to discourage villagers and advocacy groups from advocating environmental protection and community rights.

Tensions escalated on Aug. 28 when police moved to clear the blockade against fuel trucks, resulting in the arrest of the 11 protesters. Two other villagers were hospitalized during the incident.

Provincial and municipal officials, including Gov. Jose Gambito and Kasibu Vice Mayor Alberto Bumolo Jr., have since negotiated with the protesters for a temporary agreement to keep NLMRC personnel and equipment out of the site while talks continue. /cb