The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) lambasted Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for her plan to convert the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant into a natural gas plant and then operate it again. According to Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos, secretary general of KMP, “this is a very dangerous proposition as well as a very expensive one, because the BNPP is located near an active fault line. A faint tremor can cost the lost of thousands of lives in the area, that is also why residents of Morong, Bataan have vehemently opposed the operation of the plant,”

“I was one of those who joined the protests in Bataan during the 1980s because the ones who will be primarily affected will be the peasants and fisher-folk in the vicinity. We also have a local chapter there the Alyansa ng Magbubukid ng Gitnang Luzon-Bataan, who are 100% against to the “accident waiting to happen plant”. Is Gloria willing to risk the lives of thousands of her constituents to earn a few pesos in privatizing the plant?” asked the peasant leader.

As can be remembered Chernobyl was a town in the USSR which has a nuclear power plant which exploded causing massive damage to life and property. Up to now radiation levels in the area are beyond human tolerance.

The group recalled that in the mid-80s a presidential committee was formed by President Corazon Aquino to investigate the technical and financial aspects of the construction of the plant. The committee invited Dr. Vincent Pollard, a scientist who was a former member of the American Atomic Energy Board, he was the one who found out that the BNPP is located near an active fault line, as well as involved in a lot of controversies, which eventually caused the mothballing of the plant.

As for his part Carl Anthony Ala, public information officer of the group said “this may be the reason that Malacanang seems to have back pedaled on the revival of the plant, because this would definitely cause a huge public outcry and for what, for it to be another milking cow of private energy corporation?”

“If the government is really sincere in licking the impending power crisis, then it should have nationalized the key industries of our country, examples of which are oil, water, power and communications. If this has been done then we would not be at the mercy of greedy businessmen whose primary motive in doing anything is to make the most profit at the shortest time possible,” ended Ala. # # #

KMP - 9 August 2004