President Rodrigo Duterte hopes the next administration would initiate discussion on the possible use of nuclear energy to wean the country from dirty fossil fuel that harms the environment.

The energy sector continues to use coal that has devastating environmental consequences, Duterte said during his Talk to the People program aired Monday evening.

“I hope we can transition to nuclear, pag-usapan na,” the President said. “The next administration might want to just start the ball rolling and just ? maski i-discuss na because we have to educate so many people.”

He said that if the country opts to adopt the use of nuclear power, it must also address the threat posed by communist insurgents to such sensitive facilities.

Aside from environmental concerns, Duterte raised the use of nuclear power as he expressed dismay over the rising oil prices as a result of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

The conflict has influenced the stability of the global fuel prices, and it already had an impact on ordinary Filipinos and the economy.

Duterte suggested a shift to a more stable source of energy in order to have an efficient energy supply in the near future.

“You know oil is not infinite, may katapusan ‘yan. Someday it will dry up. It would be good for any government to prepare the possibility of making the transition earlier from oil ‘yung fossil fuel to nuclear kasi ang nuclear is forever,” he pointed out.

Addressing the incoming administration of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., he said, “Tutal ang nag-umpisa naman nito si Marcos noon. Nagpagawa siya ng nuclear plant.”

Former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the father of the president-elect, initiated the building of Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in order to address the energy crisis during his tenure. But it failed to operate due to safety issues following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine. Presidential News Desk