Some nine people were arrested, including a Chinese national, and around P17.5 million worth of mining equipment was seized during a law enforcement operation at Brgy. Bacuyangan in the town of Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental, on Thursday, 26 February 2026.

According to the CIDG, the CIDG Negros Occidental Provincial Field Unit, together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Negros Island Region, and territorial police units, conducted the said operation.

The operation resulted in the confiscation of mining equipment, two backhoes, three 10-wheeler dump trucks, a vibrating screen machine, two boxes containing bottles of "mercury," and an automatic generator set control panel, with an estimated total value of P17,500,000.00.

The operation stemmed from a report of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau – Negros Island Region (MGB-NIR) on alleged illegal mining activities in the area.

During the crackdown, the joint team caught the nine male suspects — "Xiong," a Chinese national, "Bert, Joey, Chris, Rey, Leo, Randy, Dante, and Egay" — while allegedly extracting and exploiting mineral resources without the necessary mining rights, permits, or agreements from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and other proper authorities, rendering the operation illegal.

The Director of CIDG emphasized that all mineral resources in public and private lands within the territory and exclusive economic zone of the Republic of the Philippines are owned by the State.

It shall be the responsibility of the State to promote their rational exploration, development, utilization, and conservation through the combined efforts of government and the private sector in order to enhance national growth in a way that effectively safeguards the environment and protects the rights of affected communities. The illegal extraction of mineral resources and illegal quarrying is a serious crime that depletes and endangers our environment and natural resources.

The arrested suspects will be charged before the National Prosecution Service with violations of Section 102 (Illegal Exploration) and Section 103 (Theft of Minerals) of Republic Act No. 7942 (Philippine Mining Act of 1995) in relation to Section 3 (c) of Republic Act No. 7076 (People's Small-Scale Mining Act of 1991).

The CIDG leadership commends PLTCOL Edilmar G. Alviar, the Regional Chief of CIDG Regional Field Unit, Negros Island Region (NIR); CIDG Negros Occidental Provincial Field led by PLTCOL Lawrence Gerald A. Bathan; and DENR–Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Negros Island Region for the remarkable accomplishment of arresting the nine suspects and confiscating the illegal mining equipment, paraphernalia, and machines. This underscores the CIDG’s commitment to protecting the nation’s environment and natural resources.

The CIDG urges the public to report all illegal activities that affect the environment and natural resources in their localities — such as illegal mining, illegal quarrying, illegal logging, and other related violations — and the CIDG will do the rest.