Benguet IP group alleges mine guards used violence against miners

ITOGON, Benguet — An alliance of barangay residents, mostly indigenous peoples (IPs) of Itogon town in Benguet, has raised alarm following a violent confrontation between armed security guards of Sangilo Mines and small-scale miners in Barangay Poblacion of the mining town.

The incident, which took place on 1 October 2025—coinciding with the start of National Indigenous Peoples Month—allegedly involved security guards of Sangilo Mines, operated by Itogon-Suyoc Resources, Inc. (ISRI). The guards allegedly ransacked the pocket mines of local residents.

Eyewitnesses reported that several miners were beaten and sustained serious injuries. The confrontation was recorded on video and uploaded online by Ramon Palingpingan Fianza, a resident and miner in the area.

Fianza claimed the security personnel aggressively drove small-scale miners from their worksite, raided their mine, and searched their belongings. Fianza further alleged that one miner was threatened with a gun, punched, and forced to the ground by the guards—actions he claims are visible in the video footage.

According to Fianza, the situation escalated when a miner requested to see a formal document or legal order from the security personnel, who allegedly reacted angrily before the violence began. The video reportedly captures a woman’s shouts and attempts by several men to intervene.

ISRI, which has operated since the 1930s, is currently affiliated with the Ricky Razon-owned Apex Mining Co.

The IIB-A is calling for an immediate investigation into the incident and for accountability for the injuries inflicted on the miners. The alliance stated that ISRI must prevent its armed personnel from harming local residents whose livelihoods depend on pocket mining, adding that if the company ordered the attack, it would underscore the extreme measures mining corporations take to protect their interests.

The incident occurs amid strong opposition from Indigenous Peoples affected by ISRI’s expansion projects in Itogon. Pocket miners and large mining corporations frequently clash over corporate claims, with companies often asserting ownership over ancestral lands through legal means or force.

The IIB-A concluded by emphasizing the toll nearly a century of mining has taken on the fragile mountains and communities of Itogon, even as the company continues to pursue further expansion.