Militants Commemorate EDSA I Through Protest Caravan Against Bataan Nuke Plant

In commemoration of EDSA I People Power Revolution, hundreds of militant activists in Manila held a protest caravan against the revival of Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). Church people, environmentalists, scientists, health professionals, farmers, fisherfolks and women joined the caravan which was organized by the multi-sectoral alliance NO to BNPP Revival.

“The fight to revive the BNPP has started to snowball and gain ground. Our caravan and the big mobilization of the Catholic Church and local people in Bataan show that the Filipino people still remain united and defiant against the scheme to re-open the mothballed BNPP,” says Dr. Giovanni Tapang, spokesperson of the alliance and Chairperson of the progressive scientist group AGHAM.

“The BNPP is a not only a monument of folly but also of corruption during the dictatorship of President Marcos. The struggle of the people against the BNPP then has contributed to the expose of the blatant and palpable corruption and fraud of the Marcos regime which also lead to its ouster. Now, a more corrupt and fraudulent Arroyo administration through its cronies and allies want to push the same folly,” Dr. Tapang adds.

“Not only will it be a source of corruption but also an additional burden to the people. Once the revival of the BNPP project is approved, ordinary electric consumers in the country will be charged with additional nuclear taxes. These nuclear taxes aim to raise multi billion dollars worth of fund where the long arms and dirty hands of corrupt officials such as the Arroyo family can easily dip in,” Dr. Tapang quips.

According to NO to BNPP Revival! once the BNPP bill being proposed in Congress is approved, ordinary electric consumers will be immediately taxed by Php 0.10/kilowatthour for 5 years to raise the money for re-opening of the plant. And once BNPP is operational, the operator of the nuke plant will again charge the consumers with an additional Php 0.141/kilowatthour for thirty years to raise fund for the eventual decommissioning and cleaning up of the plant.

Before the caravan departs for Bataan, NO to BNPP Revival members and some personalities jog around the Quezon Memorial Circle to symbolize their opposition to the said project.

In Bataan, thousands of local people joined the protest action and prayer rally organized by the Diocese of Balanga headed by Bishop Socrates Villegas. “”With so much to be spent for its rehabilitation, 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? If we truly care for the country, we must stand up against the revival of BNPP,” said Balanga Bishop Socrates Villegas in an interview.

Other Catholic Bishops such as Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, Caloocan Deogracias Yniguez and Pangasinan Bishop Oscar Cruz, as well as United Methodist Bishop Solito Toquero, also expressed opposition to the BNPP.

“Definitely the people of Bataan will not benefit from this project. Small fisherfolks, peasants and even businessmen will be affected negatively by this project. Who wants to eat fish and food coming from an area near a nuclear power plant? Tourists don’t want to go to and swim in the beach with the possibility of having contaminated water. Not only will the BNPP put our safety and lives in danger but will also threaten our source of livelihood,” says Bataan fisherfolk leader Ka Rudy Sambajon, Chairperson of PAMALAKAYA Central Luzon.

NO to BNPP Revival! says that two of the major reasons why it opposes the BNPP are the issues of safety of the plant and the risk of radioactive contamination coming from the handling of nuclear wastes. The BNPP is located on Mt. Natib, a dormant volcano and near the Manila Trench, which is an active earthquake fault line. These facts according to scientists and geologists pose an unacceptable high risk of accident happening in the plant. Also, uranium waste storage and disposal until now remains problematic.

“The people of Bataan and Luzon will not waver in their position. Hindi natin hahayaan na magbukas ang plantang nukleyar sa Bataan na maglalagay sa atin sa panganib at kamatayan (We will not allow the opening of Bataan Nuke Plant that will put our people in danger and death),” Mr. Sambajon called.

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