Charges Dropped Against Environmental and Human Rights Leaders from Fishing Community in Philippines

Jerie Lyn Navarro and Fatty Villanueva in front of their fishing community in Bataan, Philippines.

Bataan, Philippines (January 22, 2025) - Charges have been dropped against two leaders from a small fishing village in the Bataan province of the Philippines for their advocacy against the forced demolition of their community for energy infrastructure projects. 

A regional court in Bataan dismissed the cyber libel charges against Filipino environmental and human rights defenders Jerie Lyn Navarro and Fatty Villanueva. A related defamation case against Villanueva only was also dismissed by a municipal court in Bataan. 

The Philippines’ Bataan province is home to over 853,000 people and located west of Manila Bay. The region has become a battleground in recent years for the fight against environmental pollution and displacement of its thriving fishing communities by nuclear and coal companies. Bataan hosts five power plants that produce 4,000 megawatts, far exceeding the province’s actual energy needs of around 100-150 megawatts, with most of the energy being sold to other provinces. 

Both Navarro’s case and Villanueva’s case arose from a demolition that occurred on July 7th, 2023. Both women, and their fellow villagers, were removed from their houses because of a demolition order issued by the municipal government. Before the demolition, a private construction firm sent eviction notices to the residents. 

Some residents were forced to agree and leave, while others – including Navarro and Villanueva – stood up for their rights to the environment and housing. Both leaders believed that the private company would eventually reclaim the waters along their village for coal stockyard expansion, commercial and other industrial uses.

Jerielyn Navarro streamed the demolition of her childhood home on Facebook Live. The next day, she was summoned to the police station and a few months later, she was formally charged with cyberlibel. 

The demolition was also investigated by the Philippines Commission on Human Rights (“CHR”) at the request of the affected residents. The PCHR concluded that the demolition violated human rights laws because there was no notice or consultation beforehand, and the demolition team wasn’t properly identified.

The cases represent a clear use of Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP), which are increasingly being filed by private companies and governments worldwide in order to silence and harass critics by forcing them to spend money to defend a baseless or harassing suit.

“The dismissal of two SLAPP cases represents a significant victory for community leaders and advocates against strategic lawsuits aimed at silencing free speech,” said Veronica “Ka-Derek” Cabe, director of the Nuclear and Coal-Free Bataan Movement (NCFB) and local partner of Global Climate Legal Defense. “The dismissal of these cases marks a positive step for community leaders, reinforcing the protective measure available under laws and highlighting the essential role of legal advocacy in defending free speech.”