A Nueva Vizcaya regional trial court (RTC) has affirmed its order that stopped protests, particularly the setting up of physical barricades, against government-approved mining exploration activities in Dupax del Norte town in the province.

In a resolution issued last Jan. 6, Judge Paul R. Attolba Jr. of RTC Branch 30 in Bayombong denied the motions to lift the preliminary injunction that banned protests against the mining exploration activities of Woggle Corporation.

Woggle was issued on Aug. 4, 2025 Exploration Permit No. 00030-II by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). It immediately started its mining exploration activities.

The trial court’s resolution stated that Florentino Daynos and his groups should have presented their protests against the mining explorations before the MGB’s Panel of Arbitrators in compliance with Republic Act No. 7942, the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.

It cited a Supreme Court (SC) decision which ruled that "disputes involving the rights to mining area, mineral agreements or permits, and conflicts between surface owners and mining claimants fall under the Panel of Arbitrator’s jurisdiction.”

Thus, the trial court said that the protesters’ remedy “is an administrative complaint before the DENR-MGB and not resort to physical barricades.”

“Hence, it is better for the defendants (Daynos and his groups), their agents and all persons acting on their behalf to ventilate and prove their claims in a full-blown trial before the proper administrative agencies concerned rather than to put the law into their own hands by erecting barricades along Barangay Keon Road and physically blocking the implementation of a presumptively validly issued State permit. This aligns with the injunction function to preserve peace and order and respect the administrative process under RA 7942,” it also said.

With its resolution, the trial court ordered Daynos and his groups and all persons or groups of persons “to immediately remove the barricades along Keon barangay road at Bitnong, Dupax del Norte, and from further obstructing or harassing plaintiff (Woggle), its personnel, contractors, and equipment in the lawful exercise of its rights under the exploration permit, without prejudice, however, of defendants' right to pursue their claims before the proper administrative agencies.”

The court also directed the defendants’ lawyers to advise their clients to obey the writ of preliminary injunction within 72 hours from receipt of the resolution and warned of contempt of court for failure to do so.

It added that the lawyers, as officers of the court, “are expected to uphold, and not to erode, respect for judicial orders.”

The provincial director of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Nueva Vizcaya was also ordered to fully implement the writ of injunction and to assist the court sheriffs in the implementation and “may cause arrest if warranted and file appropriate cases against those who defy the same.”

Daynos and any member of his groups could not be contacted for comment.

In a press statement, Woggle’s general manager Lorne Harvey said: “The company respects and accepts the consolidated resolution issued by the court. We recognize it as part of the proper functioning of the judicial process.”

Harvey also said that his company is committed to comply with all court orders and “to conduct our operations responsibly, transparently, and in a manner that respects the rule of law and the communities affected by our work.”