Court order clears Dupax road as anti-mining protest in Philippines turns to arrests

A regional trial court in Nueva Vizcaya (Philippines) has ordered the removal of road blockages leading to a mining exploration area in Dupax del Norte, escalating a local stand-off that has drawn in police, church leaders, and rights groups.

The court fully enforced a writ of preliminary injunction sought by mining firm Woggle Corp., directing that “all obstructions” be removed along a barangay road leading to the company’s exploration site. The order said some protesters allowed a physical gate to be removed, then formed a human barricade to stop company staff and contractors.

In that same order, the court described the move as “a clear circumvention of the writ and a patent act of disobedience”. It authorised court sheriffs, with police support, to enforce the injunction and arrest, without further court approval, anyone who obstructed or defied its implementation, and it also directed steps towards criminal and contempt proceedings.

Police in Nueva Vizcaya later arrested seven protesters and dispersed what they described as a human barricade on the Keon barangay road. BusinessMirror reported police said the arrests were tied to alleged defiance of the court order, and that those detained included anti-mining leader Florentino Daynos.

Nueva Vizcaya police commander Col. Paul T. Bometivo said officers were acting in support of the judiciary. “Our actions are anchored entirely on lawful court orders,” he said.

Other accounts dispute how the operation unfolded. LiCAS News reported the Jan. 23 enforcement led to seven arrests and the entry of mining equipment into the area, and described the dispersal as violent.

Bishop Jose Elmer Mangalinao of Bayombong criticised what he described as a lack of response from authorities to residents’ concerns and, in the same statement, said: “Enough is enough”.

LiCAS News also reported legal and advocacy groups raised concerns about the arrests, with one lawyer describing the cases as a SLAPP, and several organisations calling for the detainees’ release.