Villar: Nothing wrong with studying possibility of opening nuke plant

Surigao City, Surigao del Norte - Nacionalista Party standard bearer Senator Manuel Villar Jr. sees nothing wrong with studying the possibility of using the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) to increase the country’s energy supplies. However, he was quick to clarify that it does not mean he supports the opening of the mothballed facility. Besides falling short of standards, construction of the BNPP was attended by fraud. Built during martial law, the project was managed by Marcos crony Herminio Disini. “That would fall under the long term. Wala kaming official stand sa party but walang masama na tingnan natin na ma-open ang Bataan (NPP), yung posibilidad na yun," Villar said in a press conference upon his arrival here for the start of NP's campaign sortie in Mindanao. (Although the party has yet to have an official position regarding the BNPP, there is nothing wrong with studying the option to possibly the facility.) "Hindi ko sinasabing sumusuporta ako dyan, nililiwanag ko lang, dahil sa maraming bansa ngayon ang tumitingin sa bagay na yan, walang masamang tingnan natin. But this is too early, wag nyo sabihin na sumusuporta ako. Titingnan natin at ready ako tumingin, study yung posibilidad," he added. (I am not saying that I support it. I just wish to clarify that because other countries are looking at the nuclear option, there is nothing wrong with looking at it. But it is still too early to say.) The senator and his running mate Senator Loren Legarda believes that the privatization of the power industry and attracting more investments to the industry are the answers to the energy problem. "Kailangan natin ng additional investments on power and yung kasing mga hindi tumatakbong generation facilities medyo mahal pero we have no choice kundi sila ay gamitin kung kinakailangan," Villar said. (The country needs additional power investments.) Legarda said what is needed is efficient management and implementation of existing laws such as the EPIRA (Electric Power Industry Reform Act) and Renewable Energy Act "pero maliwanag na (but it is clear that) power is best left to the private sector." "Hindi na siguro dapat ang gobyerno ay maghimasok sa negosyo. In short, the more non-interventionist the government is for power and others, the better. Dahil mas efficient ang pagtakbo ng negosyo pag sa pribadong sektor," she said. Villar said it is easy to look for investors for the power industry. "Ang power kasi madaling ipanghingi ng investments to sa labas ng bansa. Maganda yung power investment opportunity kelagnan lamang maipakita natin sa mga dayuhan na patas ang laban dito," he said. (It’s easy to attract foreign investments in power. But the country needs to show to foreign investors that the playing field here is level.) Mindanao is hardest hit with the power crisis. Surigao del Norte Governor Robert Ace Barbers said the region is now experiencing straight 12-hour brownouts. In an interview with reporters, he said most of their municipalities have adopted new office hours from the original 8 am to 5pm working hours to 7 am to 4 pm to maximize sunlight. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV