Nine environmental defenders were arrested by Pasay police after staging a protest at the Chamber of Mines Conference at Sofitel on 20 September 2018. Two of the protesters are members of Agham Youth UP Diliman. They were taken to the Pasay City General Hospital for a medical examination and then to the Pasay City police headquarters. Agham Youth – University of the Philippines Manila demands for the immediate release of the nine. “Their detention is an example of how mining companies and the government that supports them are ready to silence those who struggle to stop environmental plunder,” the group said on Twitter, using hashtag #FreeChamberofMines9. In a separate statement, Agham Youth-UP Diliman said: “Defending the environment and calling out the abusive corporations that endanger the lives of people is not a crime. Exploitative mining is.”