A new Global Witness investigation has raised concerns over the role of powerful political dynasties in driving mining expansion in the Philippines despite environmental damage and community opposition.
The report identifies two mining firms — Marcventures Mining and Development Corporation and Bright Green Resources — as central to the rapid growth of nickel extraction in Surigao del Sur.
Global Witness said it has strong grounds to suspect that both companies are linked to influential political clans, including the family of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, a cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
According to the report, dynasty-connected firms wield entrenched political influence that allows them to push mining projects forward even in the face of local resistance. Investigators found that mining firms operate within a legislative and regulatory environment where environmental violations are rarely punished.
This, the report said, reflects a broader governance crisis in the country, where political dynasties dominate nearly 80% of the legislature and hold more than half of elected positions nationwide.
Residents opposing mining operations in Cantilan have reported intimidation, judicial harassment, death threats, and even attempted assassinations. While responsibility for the threats remains unproven, the report highlights the extreme risks faced by land and environmental defenders.
In 2010, residents filed a landmark lawsuit seeking to halt what they described as Marcventures’ “destructive and illegal” mining activities.
After 15 years of litigation, courts ruled in the company’s favor — despite findings by an independent commission estimating potential environmental damage at 3.2 quadrillion pesos, or roughly £41 trillion.
Global Witness said the outcome illustrates how political power and weak accountability mechanisms leave affected communities with little recourse.