2 bishops warn lawmakers on nuclear plant revival

MANILA, Philippines - Two Catholic Bishops have expressed objection to the planned revival of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). Balanga, Bataan Bishop Socrates Villegas and Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said the plan of some lawmakers to re-open the BNPP would be met with opposition due to the risk the power plant poses to human life and safety. Villegas in a text message said the nuke plant, based in Morong town, was already declared unsafe 30 years ago and it cannot be made safe by a mere congressional act. “How can a 30-year old never been operated nuclear power plant with outdated design built with much corruption safely operated now? What was not safe 30 years ago cannot be safe by congressional act! We want progress but not at the risk of human life and safety," he said. He said the billions of pesos to be used in rehabilitating the nuclear plant, should instead be used to help the poor especially in this times of crisis. “With so much to spend for its rehabilitation approximately $1 billion is this the time to revive this folly of Marcos corruption? Could the money not be used for more urgent needs of the poor like schools and hospitals," he said. Pabillo for his part has called on the lawmakers to first study the project. “That plan must be studied very carefully really," he said in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Web site. Pabillo, who heads the Episcopal Commission on Social Action-Justice and Peace of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines , said a huge consideration must be given to the nuclear power plant’s geographical location as it sits at the foot of Mount Natib , a potentially active volcano. Several members of the House of Representatives have been reported to have sought the passage of a bill to rehabilitate the nuclear plant in order to prevent a possible power shortage in the future. House Bill 4631 or "An Act Mandating the Immediate Re-Commissioning and Commercial Operation of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant" was introduced by Rep. Mark Cojuangco last July. The Department of Energy through the National Power Corporation has also sealed a deal with the Korea Electric Power Corp (Kepco) to conduct a feasibility study on the possible revival of the BNPP. The pre-feasibility study started last week and is expected to end by 2011. - GMANews.TV