Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday called for stronger safeguards for victims and taxpayers as the Senate moves to establish clearer rules on liability and compensation for nuclear energy damage.
Cayetano signed with reservation the committee report on Senate Bill No. 1206, or the proposed Philippine Nuclear Liability Act, supporting the measure in principle while proposing amendments to address gaps in its current form.
The bill seeks to modernize the country’s outdated nuclear liability framework under Republic Act No. 5207 and align it with international conventions. It covers compensation for death or personal injury, property damage, certain economic losses, environmental restoration, and other consequences of a nuclear incident.
Cayetano’s legislative review flagged provisions that could create “potentially substantial taxpayer exposure without a definite funding mechanism.”
It also called for clearer safeguards on operator qualifications, liability limits, and what constitutes “adequate compensation” for victims.
One provision allows the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilATOM) to lower an operator’s liability depending on the risks involved.
Cayetano’s review proposed requiring concurrence from the Department of Finance (DOF) and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) before PhilATOM could lower the liability limit, as the difference would be shouldered by the National Government.
In December 2024, Cayetano sponsored the measure creating PhilATOM, the country’s independent nuclear regulatory body, which was later signed into law as Republic Act No. 12305, or the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act.
His support for the Nuclear Liability Act builds on his earlier push to harness the benefits of nuclear technology while strengthening the safeguards governing its use.
“Across the globe, nuclear energy has been used for peaceful and beneficial applications contributing to sectors such as medicine, agriculture, industry, and energy production,” Cayetano said during his sponsorship.
The senator emphasized that nuclear technology is already present in various aspects of everyday life and that the challenge is for the country to make better use of its potential.
“When we talk about atomic, nuclear energy, radiation, that’s there. We don’t always see it or know that it’s there, but we’re not able to harness it or we don’t harvest well,” Cayetano said.
Nanawagan si Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano nitong Martes na palawigin ang mga proteksyon para sa mga biktima at taxpayers sakaling magkaroon ng pinsala dahil sa paggamit ng nuclear energy.
Ito ang iginiit ni Cayetano matapos siyang lumagda “with reservation” sa committee report ng Senate Bill No. 1206 o ang panukalang Philippine Nuclear Liability Act.
Sinusuportahan ni Cayetano ang panukala sa prinsipyo ngunit nais niyang amyendahan ang ilang probisyon upang masiguro na malinaw kung sino ang mananagot at kung saan kukunin ang pondo para sa kompensasyon sa mga biktima.
Layunin ng panukala na i-update ang kasalukuyang batas sa nuclear liability sa ilalim ng Republic Act No. 5207 at iayon ito sa mga international convention.
Saklaw ng panukala ang kompensasyon sa mga namatay o nasugatan, pinsala sa ari-arian, ilang pagkalugi sa negosyo o kabuhayan, rehabilitasyon ng kapaligiran at iba pang pinsalang maaaring idulot ng isang nuclear incident.
Sa kanyang pagsusuri, nagbabala si Cayetano na maaaring malaki ang maging pananagutan ng taxpayers kung walang malinaw na mekanismo para matiyak kung saan manggagaling ang pondo para sa kompensasyon sakaling magkaroon ng nuclear incident.
Ibig sabihin, maaaring mapunta sa gobyerno at kalaunan sa taxpayers ang malaking bahagi ng gastos kung hindi sapat ang pananagutan ng nuclear operator.
Nais din ni Cayetano na maging mas malinaw ang mga panuntunan sa kwalipikasyon ng mga operator, limitasyon ng kanilang pananagutan at kung magkano ang maituturing na “adequate compensation” para sa mga biktima.
Isa sa mga tinukoy niyang probisyon ay ang nagpapahintulot sa Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilATOM) na ibaba ang liability limit ng isang operator depende sa panganib ng operasyon nito.
Iminungkahi ni Cayetano na kailangan munang sumang-ayon ang Department of Finance (DOF) at Department of Budget and Management (DBM) bago ibaba ng PhilATOM ang liability limit.
Noong Disyembre 2024, si Cayetano ang nag-sponsor ng panukalang batas na lumikha sa PhilATOM bilang independent nuclear regulatory body ng bansa, na nilagdaan kalaunan bilang Republic Act No. 12305 o Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act.
Ang pagsusulong ni Cayetano ng mas malinaw na nuclear liability rules ay kasunod ng kanyang paninindigan na dapat mapakinabangan ng bansa ang nuclear technology habang tinitiyak ang kaligtasan at proteksyon ng publiko.
“Across the globe, nuclear energy has been used for peaceful and beneficial applications contributing to sectors such as medicine, agriculture, industry, and energy production,” wika niya sa kanyang sponsorship speech.
Binigyang diin din ng senador na matagal nang bahagi ng pang-araw-araw na buhay ang nuclear technology, kahit hindi ito palaging nakikita o napapansin ng publiko.
Aniya, kailangan lamang mas matutunan ng bansa kung paano ito gagamitin nang mas mahusay para sa kapakinabangan ng mga Pilipino.
“When we talk about atomic, nuclear energy, radiation, that’s there. We don’t always see it or know that it’s there, but we’re not able to harness it or we don’t harvest well,” wika ni Cayetano.
