Balanga Bishop ‘disappointed’ over BNPP rehab go signal

balanga-bishop-disappointed-over-bnpp-rehab-go-signal

A Catholic Bishop has expressed his disappointment with President Rodrigo Duterte’s go-signal in the rehabilitation of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).

“If it is really from the President, we are saddened and disappointed,” Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga said in a report from CBCP News.

President Duterte initially rejected the revival of the Bataan Nuclear Plant a few weeks ago. But last week, Energy secretary Alfonso Cusi said that the president gave them (DOE) the green light to rehabilitate the mothballed plant.

Read: Bataan nuclear plant rehab gets go signal from Duterte, Cusi says

The bishop is firm in their decision to oppose any move to rehabilitate the nuclear plant.

“Our beliefs do not change. BNPP is dangerous and will bring death and destruction as it sits on an active volcano,” the prelate said.

“May our government officials take into consideration the life and future of our people and environment, not on profit nor on material convenience,” he said.

Aside from Bishop Santos, Senator Win Gatchalian also opposed the rehabilitation of the BNPP without a thorough study on the plant.

Read: Gatchalian: Study BNPP before rehabilitation

“We cannot jump into nuclear energy on a piecemeal basis. This feasibility study on nuclear power will be critical to objectively assessing the merits of adding nuclear power to our energy mix. We need to do our homework first before pulling the trigger on BNPP or any other nuclear project,” Gatchalian said.