President Duterte expressed hope his successor would pursue the use of nuclear energy not just to increase the country’s power supply but also to help wean the Philippines away from the use of the environment- harmful fossil fuel.
He said the supply of oil and fuel is not infinite and “someday it will dry up.”
“It would be good for any government to prepare for the possibility of making the transition earlier from oil, the fossil fuel to nuclear because nuclear is forever,” he said in mixed English and Filipino on Monday’s Talk to the People.
Duterte acknowledged the dangers involved in the use of nuclear energy especially after what happened to Chernobyl following the leak from the nuclear power plant that spread radiation.
He, however, emphasized the importance of having alternative sources of energy amid the rising oil prices in the word as a result of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“It’s a bleak picture at the moment because it seems (Russian President Vladimir) Putin still doesn’t want to end the war.”
“I hope the next administration would at least explore now the possibility of nuclear… It was after all Marcos that started the idea. He had the nuclear plant erected),” said Duterte, referring to former President Ferdinand Marcos, father of the presumptive chief executive, under whose term the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was established. The power plant was never operated and used due to security and safety issues.
In February, Duterte issued Executive Order No. 164, which outlined the national government’s position on a nuclear energy program, and directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop and implement the Nuclear Energy Program as part of the Philippine Energy Plan, and coordinate with and assist the Nuclear Energy Program-Inter-Agency Committee (NEP-IAC) in performing its functions.
Marcos Jr. the other day said he has talked to Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Kim Inchul about its study and recommendations on the BNPP.
Marcos Jr. said he would look into their study results and recommendations including whether or not the plant can still be operated or if new nuclear power plants should be built, among others.
He said power supply is important in sustaining industrial operations in the country, adding that building plants can take three to five and even seven years to build and while it may be completed beyond his term “we should start somewhere.”
Meanwhile, Duterte also Monday said Philippine delegates attending the convention on climate change next month to voice out the Philippines’ position that rich countries that fail to reduce their carbon emissions should be sanctioned accordingly.
The President said he has issued instructions to delegates led by Roberto Borje, Climate Change Commission executive director and vice chairman, who responded his team will do everything to get this message across and to seek accountability.
“We will do everything that we can, Mr. President, given your mandate was to really raise not just a clarion call but to give all our stakeholders and should-be partners a realization that this cannot happen any further,” Borje said.
But the President has earlier expressed interest to attend the next international convention on climate change although Martin Andanar, communications secretary and acting presidential spokesman, said nothing final was discussed.
The convention will be in Stockholm in Sweden or Bonn in Germany next month.
Duterte chided the United States for its withdrawal from the Paris agreement in 2020.
Borje noted US President Joe Biden, early in his term, said they are rejoining the Paris accord.
The President said unless the industrialized countries help by reducing their carbon emissions and are slapped with sanctions, the problem will not be addressed.
“No sanctions at all, what the rich are doing, the industrialized countries, do is they just pay lip service, nothing more,” he added.
Duterte pointed out bigger countries cannot expect smaller nations with the least emissions to follow because they themselves refuse to do so.
