Mark Cojuangco wants to know what influenced Duterte's policy on BNPP

Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco wants to know what influenced President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to keep the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) closed for the remainder of his term.

"Gusto ko sanang malaman kung bakit nagbago ang kanyang kaisipan tungkol dito. Hindi ko matantsa kung ano po ang nadinig niya tungkol dito na sana naman mapakinggan niya yung kabilang panig," Cojuangco said at a forum on Saturday.

Cojuangco, who has been pushing for the re-opening of the abandoned nuclear power plant for years, said Duterte's abrupt turnaround confused him as he was open to its use during the campaign period.

"Mahirap po akong magkomentaryo sa inyo kung ano po ang aking nararamdaman kasi nanggaling naman sa kanya nung kampanya na siya ang may gusto at naniniwala siya na ito ay makakatulong sa taumbayan," Cojuangco said.

Duterte said in a forum on a local television channel in February that all sources of power, including nuclear power, must be considered to address the country's power concerns.

Nuclear power was brought up as an alternative but Duterte said the benefit and dangers of using such sources must be weighed in carefully before they are used.

Cojuangco and the Department of Energy (DOE) insist that the BNPP is cost-effective and safe to operate, noting that it was not built on a fault line and would shut down in earthquakes.

The congressman also supplied numerous examples of other countries purchasing nuclear power plants this year to show its feasibility over other forms of energy generation.

"Ako naniniwala ito na ang pinaka-mura, pinaka-ligtas, pinaka-malinis na paraan na maglikha ng kuryente. Kung environmentalist ka at naniniwala ka na dapat protektahan ang ating kalikasan kaya ka nagsolar o wind at sinuportahan mo, mas matindi po ito sa pagka-malinis," Cojuangco said during the forum.

The lawmaker, who criticized private companies for failing to keep electricity rates down to generate profits last year, added that nuclear power plants will attract more investors as it was cheaper to maintain and operate.  

Due to its cheap rates, taxes will go down as power generation will no longer need subsidies from the government, Cojuangco claimed.

"Yung nuclear po, dahil sa pagkamura niya, kikita siya mag-isa. Mababa presyo, kumikita pa rin yan para pwede po siya manganak ng sarili. Hindi na kailangan i-subsidiya galing sa taumbayan," he said.

Should the nuclear plant be opened, the Philippines will need $1 billion to rehabilitate the mothballed 620-megawatt plant in Bataan. — VVP, GMA News