CABUYAO CITY, Laguna — The dismantling of a barricade in Brooke’s Point, Palawan has renewed calls from environmental and Indigenous rights groups. Residents rejected the NCIP order that led to the operation, arguing that the mining project proceeded without their genuine Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) condemned the dismantling, describing it as another instance of state institutions siding with mining interests over Indigenous Peoples. “There can be no just transition if Indigenous Peoples are displaced and environmental defenders are silenced,” said Kalikasan PNE National Coordinator Cathleen De Guzman. APNED urged ASEAN member-states to strengthen protections for environmental defenders and Indigenous Peoples as existing regional commitments remain inadequate despite escalating threats.