A leading church official in the northern Philippine province of Nueva Vizcaya condemned the violent dispersal of an anti-mining barricade, calling for accountability after police cleared residents opposing mining exploration in Dupax del Norte town.
The operation, carried out under a writ of preliminary injunction issued by Judge Paul R. Attolba Jr., led to the arrest of seven community members and the entry of mining equipment into the area.
Bishop Jose Elmer Mangalinao of Bayombong issued the statement following the Jan. 23 operation at Purok Keon, Bitnong village, where authorities dismantled physical and human barricades that residents had maintained since September 2025 to block the exploration activities of Woggle Mining Corporation.
In his message, the bishop said the events left many with “a mix of emotions — of compassion, discouragement, anger, and also questions.”
Bishop decries impact on farmers, residents
He described the protesters as farmers and ordinary residents seeking to defend their land and livelihood.
“It is painful to see the suffering of our brothers and sisters at the barricade — simple citizens and farmers who only want to defend their life and livelihood, their land,” he said.
The prelate said it was disheartening to see residents endure months of hardship at the barricade, only to be further harmed by the latest developments.
Mangalinao criticized what he described as the lack of response from authorities, saying that despite repeated appeals to those in power and petitions before the courts, residents were met with “silence, indifference, and favoritism toward Woggle Mining Corporation.”
“Enough is enough,” he said. “Let us now raise our voices louder and demand accountability,” he added.
Questions raised over police conduct
Mangalinao also raised concerns about police conduct during the operation, asking whether law enforcement procedures were carried out “without bias and without protecting any interest.”
He called on provincial police officials to provide “an honest assessment” of what transpired.
He further pressed government regulators to respond to allegations of irregularities in the mining exploration permit, saying, “We demand transparency in the steps you are taking to resolve this problem.”
Appeal to the court and the judge
In a direct appeal, the bishop said he was praying for Attolba, the judge who issued the injunction in favor of the mining company.
“We pray that your heart and mind may be enlightened so that you may be an instrument not only of human justice but even more of God’s justice,” he said, adding that judicial authority is “only entrusted by God” and should be exercised for “true justice for the oppressed.”
Mining disputes persist in Nueva Vizcaya
Nueva Vizcaya, located along the Caraballo Mountains and the Sierra Madre range in northern Luzon, has long been a site of mining-related conflict.
Farming communities in the province have repeatedly raised concerns over water security, land stability, and food production.
Community groups have drawn parallels between the situation in Dupax del Norte and earlier disputes in nearby towns, including Kasibu and Quezon, where large-scale mining operations have previously triggered protests, court cases, and allegations of environmental damage.
Woggle Mining Corporation, which is conducting exploration in Bitnong village, is reportedly linked through corporate affiliates to British mining firm Metals Exploration Plc.
Rights groups cite arrests, legal violations
Human rights and environmental organizations said the arrests following the enforcement of the injunction raise serious legal concerns.
Atty. Ryan Roset, senior legal fellow of the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center, said the cases filed by Woggle constitute “a clear Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) against environmental human rights defenders exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights.”
The Alyansa Tigil Mina condemned what it described as excessive police force during the dismantling of the barricade, citing reports of a large police deployment to clear residents opposing Woggle’s entry.
Human rights groups KARAPATAN and HUSTISYA also condemned the arrest of seven protesters and called for their immediate release, saying the detainees were being punished for peaceful resistance.
Kalikasan protests environment department, warns of ‘state-backed plunder’
Environmental coalition Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment held a protest on Jan. 23 outside the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) central office in Quezon City, denouncing what it described as the agency’s complicity in mining operations in Dupax del Norte.
The mobilization coincided with the enforcement of the writ of preliminary injunction.
“This barricade is not illegal — it is a people’s defense against plunder, destruction, and dispossession,” said Jonila Castro of Kalikasan.
Castro described the situation in Dupax del Norte as “a clear case of state-backed corporate plunder,” saying decisions made, or left unmade, by the DENR had “real, immediate consequences for communities defending their land, livelihood, and lives.”
Kalikasan said the court order reflected a broader pattern of harassment and intimidation faced by communities opposing mining, which the group linked to the Marcos Jr. administration’s push for extractive projects.
Kabataan Partylist Representative Renee Co, who has visited the barricade site, said residents were being criminalized for collective action.
“The people of Dupax del Norte are not criminals — they are defenders of land and future generations,” she said, noting that a House resolution had been filed to support the community and scrutinize Woggle’s operations.
Indigenous groups also warned that mining threatens ancestral land and cultural survival. “Mining in Dupax del Norte violates our right to ancestral land and self-determination,” said Funa-ay Claver of Katribu, adding that the Mining Act of 1995 has become “a weapon against indigenous peoples.”
Kalikasan and allied groups called on the DENR to revoke Woggle’s exploration permit, halt mining activities in Dupax del Norte, and repeal the Mining Act of 1995, which they said enables foreign corporate exploitation.
Bishop urges perseverance amid crackdown
Despite the dismantling of the barricade, Mangalinao urged residents to remain steadfast.“Even if our barricade has been dismantled, what we are fighting for has not been dismantled,” he said.
“God is merciful, we will not give up. God is compassionate, the struggle continues. God’s justice awaits those who violate the rights of the poor and the oppressed,” the bishop added.
