Congress probe urged as Kasibu mining dispute widens

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya (October 09, 2026) — Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya villagers, their provincemates and their supporters are urging Congress to investigate North Luzon Mineral Resources Corp.’s (NLMRC) 4,456-hectare exploration permit as the provincial board probes police dispersals that led to the arrest of 14 anti-mining protesters. 

The dispute that has been dragging on for months now lies on land ownership, ancestral-domain rights, community consultation and the boundaries of the exploration area.

In a manifesto, the issuance of Exploration Permit No. EP-000029-II to NLMRC on June 25, 2025 was questioned while asking the Senate and House to review the company’s application, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau’s assessment, permit maps, environmental studies and consultation records. They stressed that the permit covers exploration only and does not authorize commercial mining.

This came as the Nueva Vizcaya Sangguniang Panlalawigan investigated the August 19 and 28 dispersals of barricades in Barangays Pao and Paquet. The board ordered the preservation of police and telecommunications records, a transparent geodetic survey and verification of possible overlaps involving the exploration permit, Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title No. 12 and lands covered by Certificates of Land Ownership Award. Police arrested three residents on August 19 and 11 more on August 28, including a senior citizen and an ailing person.

The operations triggered complaints of excessive force, although police described them as civil disturbance management actions. 

Residents want authorities to determine whether the exploration area overlaps ancestral domains, agricultural lands, watersheds, protected areas and other sensitive zones, and whether affected communities were properly identified, informed and given a meaningful opportunity to object. They also asked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to explain how the area was screened before the permit was issued.

The provincial board is considering an ordinance strengthening free, prior and informed consent procedures for projects affecting Indigenous Cultural Communities. It also renewed its call for Rep. Timothy Joseph E. Cayton to pursue legislation exempting Nueva Vizcaya from large-scale mining, citing the province’s watershed importance. Board Member Flodemonte S. Gerdan said the committee urged police and private complainants to consider dropping criminal and cyberlibel cases against protest participants. The residents said their call does not presume wrongdoing, but seeks official records to determine whether required verification, mapping and consultation procedures were followed.