POLICE authorities arrested five paralegals on September 10 after demonstrations escalated outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), where President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and foreign dignitaries were attending the Luzon Economic Corridor Investment Forum.
Human rights organization Karapatan reported that three paralegals—Jona Yang, Kenneth Castro, and Mara Peralta—were detained during a police dispersal of around 100 activists protesting the event and the proposed U.S.-backed Pax Silica initiative.
They were taken to the Tuktukan Police Station in Taguig.
Shortly after, two additional paralegals—Daya Juliano and RC Placido—were arrested upon arriving at the station alongside legal counsel to assist the initial detainees.
Karapatan strongly condemned the arrests as an arbitrary violation of the right to peaceful assembly, calling out the state’s response to dissent surrounding the Pax Silica project.
The arrests took place against the backdrop of the inaugural Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) Investment Forum, co-hosted by the Philippines, the United States, and Japan.
- The Pax Silica Project: The central focus of the protest is a U.S.-led global supply chain framework aimed at establishing a 1,620-hectare artificial intelligence and semiconductor hub in New Clark City, Tarlac.
- Public & Environmental Concerns: Demonstrators and advocacy groups oppose the initiative over unaddressed concerns regarding land conversion, heavy water and energy consumption, potential displacement of local communities and indigenous Aeta populations, and lack of completed environmental impact assessments.
- Police & Demonstrator Injuries: According to local law enforcement and civil society reports, the confrontation outside the venue resulted in over 20 injured activists and more than a dozen injured police officers.
Southern Police District officials stated the individuals face potential charges of illegal assembly, citing a lack of permits for the BGC rally, alongside allegations of direct assault following clashes that left multiple police officers and demonstrators injured.
