The Regional Trial Court of Nueva Vizcaya has denied the Temporary Environmental Protection Order (TEPO) assailing OceanaGold  (Philippines) Inc.’s renewed Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA).

“The court has carefully studied the petition and finds that at this point, it contains mere allegations that must be threshed out in a full-blown trial. It is not convinced at this point that there is an immediate or irreparable harm to the environment to justify the issuance of a TEPO especially so that the petition is not supported by clear and convincing evidence to enable the court to make an intelligent finding as to whether or not to issue the said protection order,” the RTC’s decision said.

The RTC added that the TEPO cannot be granted at this time due to lack of basis.

Earlier, Didipio Barangay Captain Henry Guay has called out the petitioners stating that they have asked them to support the petition, but he denied their request.

“As residents, we do not have a problem with OceanaGold. Our barangay is peaceful,” Guay said.

“The Barangay Council believes that the FTAA renewal of OceanaGold has undergone the right process as mandated by the government. In truth, it actually took two years to review their application before they were granted the approval. If there is any wrong doing that the Company is doing, I, together with the barangay officials will be the first ones to call out OceanaGold and for the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to close down their mine,” Guay added.

In Barangay Resolution No. 13, series of 2024 dated 5 February 2024, the Didipio Barangay Council denied the request of Didipio Earth-Savers Multi-Purpose Association (DESAMA), which are among the petitioners of the TEPO, to demand the cancelation of OceanaGold’s FTAA to the Office of the President.

“This body respects the overwhelming support among the residents for the continued operations of the Didipio Mine,” the Resolution asserts.