Philippine police on August 28 dispersed a barricade that Indigenous communities had erected in Kasibu town, Nueva Vizcaya province, and arrested 11 Indigenous protesters. Members of the Bugkalot/Ilangot and other tribes have peacefully maintained a barricade since May to oppose the exploration activities of North Luzon Mineral Resources Corporation.
Videos and photos posted on social media show more than a dozen police officers breaking up the barricade by handcuffing residents, including older people. A 63-year-old man fainted as he was arrested by police and was taken to the hospital. Police pinned one resident to the ground.
Prosecutors charged the protesters with “grave coercions” and “resistance and disobedience to people in authority” under the Philippines revised penal code, which carries a sentence of one to six months’ imprisonment. All were released on bail on September 1.
North Luzon Mineral Resources Corporation has an exploration permit granted on June 25, 2025, and has said it has a certification from the Philippine National Commission on Indigenous Peoples that its permit area does not overlap with customary land.
Community residents who oppose the company’s activities have said they have a Certificate of Land Ownership Award that confirms their land rights. They have filed a petition before the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to cancel the exploration permit it granted to the company.
Two community leaders and two of their lawyers are facing cyber-libel complaints filed by the North Luzon Mineral Resources Corporation. The cyber-libel charge against the lawyers effectively undermines their right to freedom of expression and to fully represent their clients in accordance with the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
Residents have been trying to prevent the entry of equipment and fuel into the drilling site. A truck carrying fuel for a local road project was stopped at the barricade by the residents on August 18, and police arrested three Indigenous protesters, who were later released on bail.
Philippine authorities should drop criminal charges against community members exercising their right to peaceful assembly and expression. The Philippine government should instead seriously address the conflicting land claims that underlie the dispute.
