Davao mining firm: No violations of law

DAVAO CITY — Hallmark Mining Corp. in Davao Oriental maintained that it was fully compliant with all regulations governing the mining industry amid protests by some individuals. “We uphold pro-people and pro-environment principles, and we continue to implement development projects aimed at improving the lives of the poor and marginalized in our host and neighboring communities,” the mining firm said. Hallmark issued the statement following a recent dispute over a barricade blocking some members of a multisectoral group and landowner which resulted in the arrest of three individuals on June 28, 2025, in Barangay Macambol, Mati City, Davao Oriental. Claridel Dela Cruz Cellona, along with two others, was arrested after allegedly obstructing the passage of trucks owned by Hallmark Mining Corporation. Cellona claimed the road in question crosses her titled private property, but local leaders, environmental groups, and former beneficiaries of mining company programs are now challenging both the legal basis and the timing of her actions. However, residents in the area, including barangay officials, insist it is a public road used by communities and mining companies alike.

Macambol Barangay Captain Cerino Danzalan Salazar, in an interview, emphasized that the route connecting Dawan, Mamali, Macambol, and Cabuaya has been used as a public access road for nearly 30 years and was declared a provincial road during the term of former Davao Oriental governor Palma Gil. He said Cellona only began asserting ownership in 2021, a move that triggered tension in the area. Adding to the legal ambiguity is the apparent lack of any public record of formal expropriation or donation, which may be needed to establish the road’s status under law. In previous years, Hallmark, in partnership with the barangay and tribal leaders, installed a composite checkpoint several kilometers away from the contested area to regulate migrant access to the ancestral domain.

Hallmark in a statement said they remain steadfast in its commitment to full compliance with all regulations governing the mining industry.

Hallmark Mining Corp. expressed deep concern over the sudden barricading of a road that has served as the only access route to the Sitios of Catmonan and Magum.

“This road has been openly and continuously used by the residents of Macambol for nearly 30 years, long before any mining operations in the area. The community is understandably surprised and distressed that this essential thoroughfare, part of the provincial road network, is now being claimed as private property and has somehow been titled under the name of businesswoman Mrs. Cellona, depriving residents of vital access,” it said in a statement.