Quezon City — Just days after the President signed Republic Act No. 12305 to establish the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilATOM), the Department of Energy (DOE) touted a survey from Social Weather Stations (SWS) saying that more than 70% of Filipinos approve the use of nuclear energy.
Jefferson Chua, Greenpeace Philippines Campaigner reacting to these news, said:
“This is beyond alarming. The government is misleading the public by rushing into nuclear energy and dressing it up as ‘safe,’ when in truth it exposes Filipinos to grave risks. Communities and environmental groups have opposed nuclear for decades[1] —and have brought their concerns directly to the proper forums—yet have been disregarded by the powers that be.[2] The so-called ‘Philippine Nuclear Safety Act’ shows how the government undervalues public safety and highlights their long history of ignoring people’s opposition.
“We are a nation battered by at least 20 typhoons in a year, sitting on earthquake faults, with a fresh reminder from the recent Visayas quake, which claimed lives and caused major infrastructure damage. Operationalizing nuclear plants in the country is reckless and dangerous. The lessons from Chernobyl and Fukushima are clear: one nuclear accident can cause irreversible devastation; this is a risk we cannot afford.
“Nuclear energy has never been clean or affordable. It is expensive, risky, and should never be considered as a solution to our energy insecurity, and as a pathway to getting out of the climate crisis. Our government must be transparent with the high-stakes gamble they are dealing with: agreements that would put traditional as well as untested nuclear technologies,[3] prioritizing corporate interest over our welfare,[4] the unsolved matter of nuclear waste that can further poison the environment, and the exorbitant cost of building a nuclear plant at the expense of taxpayer money, which is already bleeding from the long-standing corruption by greed-stricken government officials and contractors.
“We cannot allow the government to collude with the nuclear industry while exposing the people to even greater risks. If President Marcos Jr. is committed to addressing the climate and our energy crisis, he must immediately drop nuclear plans and redirect our resources towards a Just Energy Transition, investing more on renewable energy such as solar, wind, and other clean technologies. This ensures a safe and healthy future for Filipinos, one that’s free from further harms from a nuclear disaster. Anything less is a betrayal that brings us closer to more suffering we could have prevented.”
Notes:
For requests for interviews and other information, please contact:
Karl Orit, Communications Campaigner
Greenpeace Southeast Asia – Philippines
[email protected] | +63 919 457 1064 (Viber & WhatsApp)
