CBCP leaders nix nuclear plant in Pangasinan

Posted by ReyFort Media

SIX officials of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) have voiced strong opposition to a proposed nuclear power plant in Western Pangasinan, citing safety, environmental, and moral concerns.

 In a joint statement, church leaders from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan and its attached dioceses warned that the area’s proximity to the East Zambales Fault Line makes any nuclear facility in the area an “unacceptable risk.”

The statement was signed by Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan and Auxiliary Bishop Fidelis Layog, along with Bishops Daniel Presto of San Fernando, La Union; Napoleon Sipalay of Alaminos; and Jacinto Jose of Urdaneta.

It was also supported by Bishop Prudencio Andaya of Cabanatuan and Fr. Getty Ferrer, diocesan administrator of San Jose, Nueva Ecija.

“Not in Pangasinan! Not anywhere else!” the prelates said, urging government officials and the public to value the protection of human lives and the common good over economic or corporate interests.

The church leaders cited lessons from Japan’s 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, saying it demonstrated the “insoluble dangers” of nuclear energy and its capacity to cause irreversible damage to human life, livelihoods, and the environment.

Guided by Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, the bishops emphasized prudence, intergenerational responsibility, and the need to shift toward renewable energy sources to safeguard future generations. (V. Barcelo/CBCP/ Manila Standard)