Environmental group Greenpeace Philippines assailed the US-Philippines civil nuke treaty, saying that renewable energy is enough – and safer – for the Philippines.
“The 123 Agreement is not in the best interest of the Philippines as it seeks to introduce both traditional nuclear energy technology as well as Small Modular Reactors (SMR) that will pose risks and dangers to Filipinos. This nuclear deal, if sanctioned, will only be highly favorable to the U.S. government and the American companies that have tried but failed to sell SMRs in other parts of the world due to their untested technologies and exorbitant costs,” said Greenpeace Philippines campaigner, Khevin Yu in a statement.
Yu said that the 123 nuke deal, which is now in effect, will only endanger the Philippines, citing the worst nuclear plant disasters in the world, namely Chernobyl in 1986 and the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in 2011. During the Corazon Aquino administration, the Bataan Nuclear Plan was mothballed due to the fear of a nuclear disaster, knowing that the nuclear power plant was built over an active fault line.
“There is no need for the 123 Agreement. The Philippines can be energy independent with renewable energy. Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar are domestically available and should be the priority of the government. Solar rooftop utilization alone can provide 91 Gigawatts of reliable energy according to a 2024 Climate Analytics study. The Philippines would just be getting the short end of the stick if the government pursues this dangerous collaboration. They must repeal this unfavorable deal for the sake of Filipinos,” Yu said. (NOEL SALES BARCELONA)
