Palace still weighing pros, cons on BNPP reopening

MANILA, Philippines - Amid conflicting calls from concerned sectors, Malacañang said Tuesday it will keep an open mind on moves to reopen the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said it will "listen" to all sides of the issue, whether for or against the re-commissioning of the plant. "Consistent tayo riyan na under review pa iyan. By under review, we are listening to all sides of the issue. We are not for or against [We have been consistent that this issue is under review. We are listening to all sides of the issue, we are not for or against its reopening]," Remonde said in an interview on dzXL radio. He said that while they are aware of concerns on safety and health of residents near the plant, they are also aware of the need for an alternative source of energy. Last Monday, a senior Catholic bishop called to relive the spirit of the 1986 EDSA “People Power" uprising to block the revival of the mothballed BNPP. Balanga Bishop Socrates Villegas, who played a key role in the 1986 “revolt," said people must join hands to stop a plan that poses a threat to the environment. "Let us stand up for one another as what we did during EDSA 1986," he said at a prayer rally outside St. Joseph's Cathedral in Balanga, Bataan, Monday afternoon, according to an account on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines website. Villegas was an aide and protégé of the late Manila archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, whose call for support triggered the EDSA uprising 23 years ago. At a prayer rally, Villegas branded lawmakers’ move supporting the revival plan as "betraying" of the spirit of the popular uprising. He noted the BNPP was one of the so-called “white elephants" Filipinos thwarted when they ousted then President Ferdinand Marcos. "We were able to put a stop to the nuclear power plant because of EDSA 1986. Reviving the nuclear power plant is therefore a betrayal of the spirit of EDSA as it again attempts to trick the nation," he said. Villegas also described those pushing to reopen the nuclear plant as enemies of the poor. "They are enemies of the poor and weak. They are not our friends. They are not on the side of God. They are living for themselves only," he said. The Ecumenical Bishops Forum (EBF) also joined various groups in calling for a stop to any moves to revive the nuclear power plant, saying it would endanger the lives of the Filipino people. "It is a known fact that this project was full of anomalies and was a source of corruption during the time of President Marcos. The Filipino people were then saddled with paying for this monstrosity for close to two decades," the group said in a statement. The group then urged the government to focus on other alternatives for power generation that are safe, sustainable and indigenous. "We are confident that in doing so, the government will eventually stop its practice of auctioning and privatizing our energy facilities and resources to private and foreign companies, like what they are doing with BNPP and other power plants," the statement said. - GMANews.TV