DENR denies using “pesticide gas” on protesters outside central office

The agency said the mist seen during a pre-SONA environmental protest outside its QC headquarters came from routine disinfection and was not intended for crowd control.

A cloud of mist that appeared during an environmental protest outside the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) headquarters in Quezon City has become the subject of controversy after activists alleged they were exposed to pesticide, a claim the agency strongly denied.

In a statement, the DENR said the fogging activity was part of its regular workplace sanitation efforts and was not intended for crowd control. It added that the substance used complied with workplace hygiene standards and that no chemical agents were directed at rally participants.

The clarification came after progressive groups from Southern Tagalog claimed they were exposed to what they described as pesticide while staging a protest along Visayas Avenue ahead of the president’s fifth State of the Nation Address.

The demonstration, dubbed the “Hagupit ng Timog Katagalugan” caravan, brought together environmental advocates, farmers, and Indigenous Peoples’ groups opposing mining operations, large-scale development projects, and policies they said threaten forests, ancestral lands, and rural communities.

As part of the protest, community leaders shaved their heads to symbolize mountains stripped bare by destructive projects and to reaffirm their commitment to defending the environment.

The DENR said it respects the public’s right to peaceful assembly and cited a report from the Quezon City Police District stating that the rally ended peacefully with no untoward incidents.

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