Philippines puts safety first in nuclear power issue: envoy

Want China Times, CNA 2014-04-27

Antonio Basilio during an interview, April 26. (Photo/CNA)

Safety should be the top priority in nuclear power policy, as is the case in the Philippines, which has opted not to put a nuclear power plant into operation after its completion, according to the Philippines' representative to Taiwan.

Antonio Basilio made the remarks during an interview earlier in the week when he was asked to comment on the current uproar in Taiwan over the fate of the country's fourth nuclear power plant.

According to Basilio, nuclear power remains a hotly debated issue in the Philippines, with some people deeply concerned about its safety, just as is the case in Taiwan.

Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, the only such facility ever built in the Philippines, was never fueled because it is located in an earthquake zone and has been determined as unsafe by geologists, he noted.

The plant has instead been turned into a tourist attraction that draws many visitors, he said.

Amid the controversy over the fourth nuclear power plant, the administration of president Ma Ying-jeou is planning to put the plant's operation on hold after it is completed.

If the plant passes safety inspections, a referendum will be held before fuel rods are installed at the plant to make it operational, the government has said.

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