The case of Dupax Del Norte (DDN) in Nueva Vizcaya is not just another local dispute. It is a familiar and disturbing story that keeps repeating itself all over the country: a small farming community versus a powerful mining company, with government agencies—shockingly—often siding with corporate interests instead of the people they are supposed to protect.

Let us be clear from the start: this writer stands with the community.

In Dupax Del Norte, farmers and indigenous families are being treated like criminals simply because they are defending their ancestral homes, farms, and water sources. Some have been arrested. Others have been harassed. Their “crime”? Saying no to mining. Their collective “no” should have been enough. But greed, as we have seen many times before, does not respect boundaries, consent, or even basic decency.

This is not an isolated case. From Nueva Vizcaya to Mindanao, from the Cordilleras to Palawan, communities resisting large-scale mining often face the same pattern: permits issued in Manila, security forces deployed on the ground, and local voices conveniently ignored. When this happens repeatedly, one is forced to ask uncomfortable questions.

Is it not the duty of the government to side with communities rather than mining companies? If the government will not protect the people, who will? And if the military is truly mandated to protect civilians, why do we so often see men in uniform guarding mining equipment instead of farmers and their children? It is hard to avoid the conclusion that corruption—whether through influence, pressure, or outright bribery—may be involved. Why else would officials consistently side against their own people?

Central to the Dupax Del Norte conflict is the issue of the Certificate of Non-Overlap (CNO) issued by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). A CNO claims that a project area does not overlap with any ancestral domain. This single piece of paper has massive consequences. Once issued, mining projects can bypass the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA) and avoid securing Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC).

Here lies the technical—and moral—problem. Under IPRA, ancestral domain exists by virtue of long, continuous possession, not merely because a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) has already been issued. Communities in DDN insist that the land is ancestral, even if paperwork is incomplete. If the CNO was issued despite this reality, then it deserves serious scrutiny.

I am not accusing the NCIP as an institution. But it is only proper—and necessary—for the NCIP Chairperson to investigate whether local officials were pressured or bribed into issuing the CNO. If IPRA applies, then FPIC is non-negotiable. Consent must be free, prior, informed—and it includes the right to say no.

It is also important to remember that the NCIP is now under the Office of the President. This means Malacañang cannot look the other way. The Office of the President should already be looking into the Dupax Del Norte situation, particularly the issuance of the CNO and the criminalization of residents.

What makes this case especially painful is the sense of betrayal. Courts, police, and local officials—institutions designed to protect citizens—appear aligned against them. When the legal route feels rigged, communities are forced to fight not just a mining company, but a narrative. That is why national and even international attention matters. Mining companies fear reputational risk. Communities must make their stories visible.

Dupax Del Norte is a farming community. Threatening its watershed threatens food security far beyond its borders. This is no longer just a “local issue.” It is a national one.

If there are lawyers willing to volunteer and help the people of Dupax Del Norte, please let me know so I can connect you. History shows that when communities refuse to break, even the biggest mining projects can become too costly—politically, socially, and morally—to continue.

RAMON IKE V. SENERES

http://www.facebook.com/ike.seneres iseneres@yahoo.com senseneres.blogspot.com 09088877282