Activists arrested over protests at mining conference in Pasay

Police arrested nine activists after they staged a protest action inside the venue of the ongoing conference of the Chamber of Mines in Pasay City on Thursday afternoon.

The protesters are members of Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan), an alliance of environment and anti-mining organizations, which held protests inside and outside Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila at the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex.

According to Kalikasan information officer Aiko Alejo, the group staged the protests to condemn the landslides at a mining site in Itogon town in Benguet where 44 persons were killed and about 50 others remain missing.

The arrested activists had reportedly gained access inside the Chamber of Mines conference, and began to chant anti-mining slogans. About the same time, about 100 protesters held a blitz mass action outside the venue, Alejo said.

“Police have no idea what to charge (the arrested protesters) as of the moment but are holding them and restricting paralegals from access,” said Leon Dulce, Kalikasan national coordinator. /kga