By Ferdinand G. Patinio
MANILA, Oct. 11 (PNA) — The Diocese of Balanga reiterated its stand against the revival of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).
In a recent pastoral letter, Bishop Ruperto Santos said they will continue to fight any move or plans to operate the power plant, to generate electricity through nuclear power.
“The Diocese of Balanga has decided. And the Diocese of Balanga makes a stand yet again. The Diocese of Balangan is against this [move]. And this stand will not change,” he said in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) news website.
He noted that the Church’s position on the issue was researched and discussed before a decision was taken.
“The BNPP damages life, livelihood and nature. The BNPP is not the answer to the present needs of the people. No one is safe from the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant,” the Catholic prelate added.
He said operating the nuclear power plant would endanger the lives of the Filipino people.
With this, the diocese urged the government to focus on other alternatives for power generation that are safe and sustainable instead of reviving the BNPP.
“Because life is so much more valuable to us than profit or money to be gained from cheap electricity or for the selfish needs of the body…We believe that energy can be generated from wind or from water (hydro) or from the sun (solar) that can be studied, tested or harnessed,” Santos added.
The construction of the facility started during the regime of former President Ferdinand Marcos as an answer to the oil crisis that time.
However, it was not operated after receiving objections from Bataan residents and the Filipino people.(PNA)