DENR clarifies QC protest mist was routine defogging, denies crowd control claims

No pesticide was released during a protest outside the Central Office in Quezon City last Sunday, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said.

The agency clarified that the mist seen in the viral video was from a regular defogging routine, and was not intended for "crowd control."

“We assure the public that the mist seen in the video was from routine defogging on Sundays. It is disinfectant mist, compliant with workplace hygiene standards,” the DENR said in a statement shared on Sunday evening.

Citing an official report from the Quezon City Police District, DENR said that the demonstration along Visayas Avenue "ended peacefully with no untoward incidents."

On Sunday, July 26, fisherfolk and farmers from Southern Luzon—led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Southern Tagalog (BAYAN Timog Katagalugan)—alleged that pesticide was sprayed near their rally. The protest was part of a caravan staged ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address.

Demonstrators gathered to oppose ongoing deforestation, land conversion, mining, reclamation, and other destructive policies threatening Southern Luzon's natural resources and local livelihoods.

Undeterred by the alleged pesticide incident, the group pressed forward with their program. Around 10 members shaved their heads in a symbolic act representing the "pagkakalbo" of the region's lush forests, reaffirming their commitment to defend their land and environment.