THE Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has started reviewing key international nuclear agreements.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo cautioned that the Philippines must address safety, legal, and institutional gaps before entering binding commitments.
He added that the country’s ties with nuclear-armed states and exposure to regional risks heighten the stakes, especially as nuclear energy re-emerges as an option amid global fuel uncertainties.
The panel is assessing four instruments: the Convention on Nuclear Safety; the amended Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage; the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage; and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management.
“These impose binding obligations — from independent regulators to emergency preparedness and liability systems,” Tulfo said, raising concerns about constitutional alignment, technical capacity and financial exposure.
He cited past disasters, including the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, as a reminder of potential risks.
Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Edgar Badajos said six Asean countries — Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam — have joined the Convention on Nuclear Safety.
He clarified that it covers only civilian nuclear facilities, not military use.
Officials cited Republic Act 12305, or the Philippine National Nuclear Safety Act of 2025, as the domestic legal basis.
Department of Energy Undersecretary Giovanni Bacordo said the convention applies to various technologies, including conventional plants and small modular reactors, with no single option yet adopted.
Badajos said liability rests with plant operators, even when work is subcontracted.
2nd District of Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco added that pending legislation seeks to formalize a liability regime requiring operators to carry substantial insurance for swift compensation.
Lawmakers stressed that any move toward nuclear energy must be matched by strict safeguards, regulatory independence and public accountability.
“The protection of our people and environment must come first,” Tulfo said.
