MANILA – Environmental groups condemned the harassment against the people of Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya who continue to defend their land against mining exploitation of the North Luzon Mineral Resources Center (NLMRC). 

This is after the recent arrest of three anti-mining advocates in Barangay Pacquet, Nueva Vizcaya. According to Save Cagayan Valley, the three advocates were later released on the same day after posting bail for grave coercion and violation of the Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code. 

The three are members of the local organization, Kasibu Inter-Tribal Response for Ecological Development or KIRED.

Earlier, the Center for Environmental Concerns (CEC)’s posted an alert that around 33 to 40 members of Philippine National Police (PNP) arrived early morning today, August 19, to escort seven drums of oil for a supposed government road project of Barangay Pao which would use NLMRC’s backhoe for the project.

But the members of the community are skeptical due to the project’s link to NLRMC. Those who were at the barricade checked the delivery and found out that only five out of seven barrels are officially approved.

The community insisted on blocking the two unofficial drums of crude oil which led to the tension between the members of the community and the PNP. Three community members were arrested namely Lei Jin Dugay, Don Dugay, and June Fiataccag.

Lei Jin Dugay is also facing charges of cyber libel filed by NLMRC due to her post on her social media account expressing her opposition to their mining activities. The residents’ lawyers have also been slapped with cyber libel. 

Read: Environment groups alarmed over cyberlibel raps vs anti-mining advocates

Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (KPNE) stated that the community barricade has been maintained to limit the entry of resources of NLMRC’s equipment to conduct their mining activities within the area. 

“The arrest of barricaders is a blatant act of harassment and intimidation against communities defending their land, environment, and livelihoods. Instead of addressing the community’s legitimate concerns, state forces have once again been deployed against environmental defenders,” KPNE stated. 

After the arrest around 4:20 pm, PNP continued to escort the entry of crude oil into the area. 

KATRIBU Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas said in a statement that this action only proved that the government prioritizes profit over the rights and safety of its constituents. The group asserted that the community has the right to peaceful assembly and expression, especially when they are protecting their livelihood and the environment, especially when there are decisions they are not well informed about.

“The arrest of community and environmental defenders cannot be the government’s response to legitimate concerns over destructive mining and the protection of Indigenous lands and livelihood,” Katribu said in a statement.

The police began staying at the community barricade on August 5 and ordered residents to remove the barricade. However, the community insisted that the land where the barricade was built is privately owned.

The Alyansa ng Novo Vizcayano para sa Kalikasan (ANVIK) has earlier stated that the harassment, threat and intimidation they are facing are due to their opposition to the large-scale mining.

The community strongly opposes NLMRC’s mining activities due to lack of genuine consultation as well as threats of losing their livelihood. 

The Mines and Geoscience Bureau granted 4,456 hectares of mining exploration permit to NLMRC in June 2025 yet the community came to know about it in October 2025.

The barricade was set up by the community members in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya to protect their land from threats of large-scale mining. The areas to be affected by the mining exploration are their  ancestral land which is covered by Certificate on Ancestral Domain Title of National Commission of Indigenous People. 

Read: Indigenous community rising up against mining in Nueva Vizcaya

The groups reiterated their call to stop judicial harassment against anti-mining leaders and their lawyers, saying it is a “longstanding pattern of deliberate attempts from the collusion of state and private actors to stamp out local dissent.” (AMU, RVO)