Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David has urged the government to listen to residents of Dupax del Norte, Nueva Vizcaya, who have raised concerns over mining operations in their community, following a recent confrontation between protesters and police.

“These people are defending the land on which they live, the water they drink, the farms from which they derive their livelihood, and the environment their children will inherit,” David said.

“Especially at a time when climate change is already intensifying extreme rainfall, flooding and landslides, their fears about what extractive activities could do to forests and watersheds cannot simply be dismissed,” he added.

David stressed that residents have a constitutional right to peacefully express their opposition to activities they believe could threaten their communities and environment.

“Peaceful dissent is not a crime. Environmental defenders are not enemies of the State,” the cardinal said.

David cited Article III, Section 4 of the Constitution, which protects “the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the Government for redress of grievances.”

He also cited Batas Pambansa 880, or the Public Assembly Act, which recognizes peaceful assembly as an essential right and requires law enforcement authorities to exercise “maximum tolerance” in dealing with protesters.

David acknowledged that police were enforcing a court injunction obtained by the mining company but reminded law enforcers that they remain “servants of the law and protectors of the people.”

“They must never be reduced—or even appear to be reduced—to the role of a private security force protecting corporate interests,” he said.

David called on authorities to end what he described as harassment and criminalization of residents seeking to raise their concerns.

“Stop the harassment and criminalization of people who are only asking to be heard. Let dialogue take the place of confrontation,” he said.