HRW Urges Philippines to Dismiss Libel Cases Against Mining Rights Advocates

Human Rights Watch is calling on Philippine prosecutors to dismiss criminal cyber-libel complaints filed by the North Luzon Mineral Resources Corporation against four rights advocates in Nueva Vizcaya province. The organization argues these lawsuits are intended to silence local communities and legal representatives raising concerns over mining operations in the region, according to a statement issued by Human Rights Watch.

The legal disputes center on the town of Kasibu, where residents and lawyers allege the mining company failed to adequately consult affected parties, including farmers and members of the Indigenous Bugkalot/Ilangot tribe. The North Luzon Mineral Resources Corporation filed a criminal complaint on July 2 against lawyers Fidel Santos and Edgardo Balgos, who represent the community.

The company accused the lawyers of defamation via Facebook and radio broadcasts. Two community leaders, Florentino Daynos and Anthony Glenn Guingayan Sr., also face cyber-libel complaints. Daynos was targeted in a June 19 filing for supporting a community barricade against mining exploration, while both he and Guingayan were notified of additional complaints from other residents on June 3.

Legal Challenges to Mining Permits in Kasibu

On July 14, residents of Kasibu filed a petition with the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources to cancel the company’s mining exploration permit. The residents claim their land rights are confirmed by Certificates of Land Ownership Award as agrarian reform beneficiaries and that the area is a protected watershed under local laws.

The North Luzon Mineral Resources Corporation disputes these claims. In its July 2 complaint, the company stated it consulted two communities twice in March 2024. The company was granted an exploration permit on June 25, 2025, for an area covering 4,455 hectares. It further cited a certification from the Philippine National Commission on Indigenous Peoples asserting that the permit area does not overlap with ancestral domains.

Cyber-Libel and SLAPP Lawsuits in the Philippines

Under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, cyber-libel is a criminal offense punishable by 6 to 12 years in prison. Human Rights Watch characterized these specific filings as Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation, or SLAPP suits, designed to drain resources and intimidate critics.

The advocates noted a pattern of targeting.

They are filing cases one after the other. They targeted the leaders first, and now their lawyers.

Fidel Santos

Edgardo Balgos stated that the criminal cases create a chilling effect because the harassment of legal defenders makes the communities they represent more afraid to seek representation.

The complaints filed by the company will undergo preliminary investigation in Isabela province. This location is a four-hour drive from the lawyers, a distance Human Rights Watch describes as a common tactic in Philippine libel cases to complicate the defense.

International Standards and Legislative Efforts

The United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of expression has condemned the use of cybercrime laws to suppress speech in the Philippines. Human Rights Watch noted that these laws undermine the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a treaty to which the Philippines is a party.

In August 2024, the UN special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change reported that a major judicial inquiry is needed to review cases where environmental defenders were prosecuted on trumped-up charges.

While the Philippines has had special rules against SLAPPs for environmental cases since 2010, the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center found that many defenders have still been detained under false charges. Legislative attempts to strengthen these protections include House Bill No. 5592, filed in October 2022. This bill would expand SLAPP prohibitions to all public interest cases and require prosecutors to dismiss such cases summarily upon filing, though it has not progressed in Congress.

Lian Buan, a Southeast Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, stated that the Philippine government must take firm action against efforts to target Indigenous communities and their lawyers. Buan warned that if advocacy is criminalized, affected communities will be unable to alert others when corporations or officials threaten their rights.