Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga expressed hope that the planned government study on nuclear energy as an option for power generation will be done with transparency.
“We hope that the feasibility study will be transparent, non-partisan and not exclusive,” he said.
In an executive order made on July 24 and made public on Wednesday, July 29, President Rodrigo Duterte created a committee to conduct a study and formulate a strategy on the use of nuclear energy.
The Energy department has been pushing to add nuclear energy to the Philippines’ energy sources to feed the country’s growing electricity demand.
Bataan province, about 130 kilometers from the capital Manila, is host to a mothballed nuclear plant.
Costing more than US$2 billion, the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was completed in 1984 but was never used following the ouster of President Ferdinand Marcos, who ordered its construction.
Allegations of corruption were also hurled at the 621-megawatt nuclear facility, including safety issues in a country that is prone to natural disasters.
Bishop Santos is hoping that the study would shed light on the safety of nuclear energy in the Philippines.
“This could settle with finality whether our country is ready, able and safe for nuclear energy,” he said.
