Rights groups condemn arrest of anti-mining protesters in Nueva Vizcaya
KARAPATAN Public Information
PRESS STATEMENT
23 January 2026
References: Cristina Palabay, KARAPATAN secretary general, 09173162831
Atty. VJ Topacio, Hustisya National Board member
KARAPATAN Public Information Desk, 09189790580
Rights groups condemn arrest of anti-mining protesters in Nueva Vizcaya
KARAPATAN human rights alliance and HUSTISYA (Victims United for Justice) condemn in the strongest terms the arrest of at least six anti-mining protesters, including two elderly women, in Dupax del Norte, Nueva Vizcaya this morning, January 23, 2026.
Those arrested formed part of a human barricade along the Keon Barangay Road to block the entry of Woggle Corp., an affiliate of FCF Minerals Corporation. Woggle had obtained a highly questionable exploration license for 3,100-hectares in Dupax del Norte in August 2025, targeting gold and copper deposits. The mining area includes titled land owned by one of the elderly women arrested. Also hauled off to the Dupax del Norte Police Station was Florentino Daynos, president of the anti-mining group in Dupax del Norte.
The entry of Woggle into Dupax del Norte was made possible through the Duterte regime’s reinstatement of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 which had been suspended since 2012 over serious environmental and other concerns. Since the suspension was lifted, new mining contracts have been allowed.
The residents manning the human barricades are opposed to Woggle’s mining activities, fearing that their town, which earns significant revenues from the production of corn, rice, vegetables and fruits, as well as livestock, will suffer economically. They cited the environmental destruction that has befallen Kasibu town, where the notorious OceanaGold operates, and Quezon town, where Woggle’s affiliate FCF Minerals has mining activities.
The destruction to the environment in Kasibu and Quezon towns includes the contamination of water resources, the depletion of the water table and the destruction of local biodiversity. Despite demands from residents of these areas, OceanaGold and FCF Minerals have refused to rehabilitate the mined areas, leading to damage to crops and agricultural areas and the spread of diseases.
In Dupax del Norte, Woggle Corp. was able to secure an order from a local court on January 19, 2026 directing the dismantling of the barricades and the arrest of protesters. The violent police dispersal of the protests and the arrests are ongoing as of this writing.
KARAPATAN and HUSTISYA demand the release of the detained protesters and will continue to closely monitor the developments in Dupax del Norte, as they stand behind the community members in their staunch defense of their economic rights and the integrity of their environment.
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KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties. It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign. It was established in 1995.