Aquino, however, officially ordered the decommissioning of the plant for ‘reasons of safety and economy.’
Claim: President Corazon Aquino mothballed the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in 1986 out of revenge
Rating: False
Facebook page “BBM SARA Tv’s” made a very simplistic but false claim as to why President Corazon Aquino mothballed the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in 1986: it was out of revenge against the regime of her predecessor, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
The Facebook page quotes no other than Marcos himself in the video that has recorded more than 3,600 views.
In the video bookended by commentary by a vlogger whose face was covered by a red facemask, Marcos is seen criticizing Aquino’s decision to shut down the plant:
“Ayaw niyang tanggapin ang aking mungkahi at maaalala daw ng taong bayan si Marcos hanggang nandiyan ang Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. Anong klaseng pag-iisip yan? Iyan ba’y paghihiganti? Huwag nang idamay ang sambayanang Pilipino.”
The video repeats the self-serving claim in its caption: “Dahil lamang sa paghihiganti, hindi mo pinakinggan ang huling salita na sinabi ng dating Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Sr.”
Aquino however is on official record as having ordered the decommissioning of the plant for “reasons of safety and economy” in Executive Order 55 dated Oct. 1, 1986.
Similar claims over the mothballing of the plant have been debunked by Vera Files on Oct. 19, 2020 as well as Rappler on July 13, 2019.
These fact checks enumerated various justifications for the plant’s decommissioning, chiefly safety concerns, especially in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster.
“In sum, the unique dangers of this site cry out for a thorough, independent, and competent investigation of the multitude of serious and potentially catastrophic problems presented,” according to a brief submitted to American nuclear regulators, cited in the Vera Files fact check.
Moreover, corruption allegations hounded the project.
In June 2021, the late Marcos crony Herminio Disini was ordered by the Supreme Court to pay some P1 billion in damages to the Philippine government for pocketing commissions in connection with the power plant deal.
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