FIVE individuals were arrested during a lightning rally staged by cause-oriented groups at a hotel in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig in connection with the proposed Pax Silica project.
Southern Police District Deputy Director Colonel Robert Baesa said 43 police officers and five activists were injured as tension erupted when police and security personnel of the hotel tried to pacify the protesters.
The protest was carried out while the Luzon Economic Corridor Investment Forum was ongoing in one of the conference halls of the Grand Hyatt Hotel.
Baesa said they intend to file criminal cases against the protesters for assaulting their personnel, as well as illegal assembly.
He maintained that police officers imposed maximum tolerance in dealing with the demonstrators.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Secretary General Raymond Paltino condemned what they tagged as a “harsh” response and violent dispersal by the police.
Marco Sebastian Tueres, communications officer for Kalikasan People’s Network, said five paralegals from allied groups were arrested by police officers, namely Mara Peralta, Kenneth Castorm, Jona Yang, Daya Juliano, and RC Placido.
Tueres criticized police officers for resorting to violence just to intimidate protesters and vowed to hold accountable the lawmen who inflicted harm on the demonstrators.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was the key speaker during the 2026 Luzon Economic Corridor Investment Forum, an event co-hosted by the Philippines, the United States, and Japan that brought together hundreds of investors, industry leaders, and government officials to explore investment opportunities.
Marcos urged foreign investors to invest in the Philippines through the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC), bringing capital, technology, and expertise.
The proposed Pax Silica Industrial Hub has drawn opposition from several progressive and environmental groups.
During Independence Day protests in June and in subsequent demonstrations, activists criticized the US-backed initiative, raising concerns over its potential environmental impact, water and energy consumption, the possible displacement of communities, and what they described as increased foreign influence over the country’s strategic industries.
Protesters also questioned the project’s links to the broader geopolitical competition surrounding AI technologies and semiconductor supply chains.
During his fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) in July, Marcos expressed support for the proposed Pax Silica Industrial Hub, saying the project will position the Philippines as a key player in the global artificial intelligence (AI) industry while generating high-quality jobs and strengthening the country’s economy. / TPM
