Itogon IPs vow to continue fight after court junks anti-mining petition

The indigenous peoples (IPs) of Dalicno, Itogon have vowed to continue their fight against mining expansion despite a local court’s dismissal of their petition challenging a key project clearance.

The opposition follows mounting reports of environmental damage in the area. One resident recently posted a photo of a dead cow, claiming it died from poisoning after drinking from a river allegedly contaminated by mine discharge.

"The water that's coming from the mines has lots of chemicals that are killing our animals, getting poisoned that drink the water from the river that come from the mines," the resident said, referring to the operations of Itogon Suyoc Resources Incorporated (ISRI).

A video uploaded by another resident shows murky river water being collected for examination to determine toxicity levels.

Locals have long warned that river systems vital for irrigation and drinking water are being polluted, threatening farms, livestock, and wildlife. They allege that toxic water is flowing into irrigation channels, destroying crops.

The Benguet Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 62 in La Trinidad dismissed the petition of five Dalicno residents seeking to nullify the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) and Certification Precondition (CP) granted to ISRI. The clearance allows the company to pursue its Application for Production Sharing Agreement (APSA) 103, covering more than 500 hectares of ancestral land.

The court, in its October 7, 2025 resolution, ruled the case as “forum shopping,” noting that the petitioners had previously filed a similar complaint before the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), which was already dismissed.

ISRI said the ruling “potentially clears the path” for the project’s development.

Community leaders, however, said the RTC resolution “is not final and executory,” asserting that the case was dismissed on procedural grounds and not on its merits. They vowed to seek legal remedies and elevate their appeal.

The Dalicno IPs maintain that the Itogon Indigenous Peoples Organization (IIPO) was never authorized to enter a memorandum of agreement with ISRI, claiming it encroaches on their ancestral land, including water sources, burial grounds, and residential areas.

The group has also filed a complaint before the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHRP), urging an investigation into the alleged involvement of government agencies such as the NCIP and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in the approval process.