The article discusses a Supreme Court decision granting a Writ of Kalikasan against the Department of

Environment and Natural Resources and two mining companies in Palawan.

The writ was granted to the Indigenous Cultural Communities of BICAMM Ancestral Domain in Brooke's
Point, Palawan who claimed that mining operations by Ipilan Nickel Corporation and Celestial Nickel
Mining and Exploration Corporation were causing deforestation and environmental damage in Mount
Mantalingahan.

The Supreme Court found that the requirements for issuing a Writ of Kalikasan were met as the mining
operations may cause irreparable environmental damage, place residents in peril, and lead to
environmental damage across multiple municipalities.

The Court also applied the precautionary principle, shifting the burden of proof to the mining companies
and DENR to show that the mining operations will not harm the environment. The Court ordered the
respondents to file a verified return of the writ within 10 days.

So in summary, the Supreme Court granted a Writ of Kalikasan to stop mining operations that the
Indigenous Communities claimed were damaging the environment in Mount Mantalingahan in Palawan.
The Court found that the requirements for issuing the writ were met and applied the precautionary
principle to shift the burden of proof to the mining companies and DENR.