Aspiring president Vice President Leni Robredo said she is open to discussions on the possibilities of utilizing nuclear energy in the country but affirmed that the focus remains towards moving away from fossil fuel dependence.
"It's (nuclear energy) definitely on the table," Robredo said during an economic forum on Friday, Jan. 21, when asked if her administration, if elected, is open to tapping nuclear power.
"While I am open to discussions, it is very very clear that the priority now should be moving away from fossil fuel dependence towards the shift to renewable energy," she added.
The presidential aspirant stressed that it is a "very contentious issue" that always comes with the discussion of proper safeguards and its environmental impacts.
"When you talk on nuclear power, we always talk of what are the proper safeguards and technology for safety and minimize environmental impact. These are very crucial as well," she said.
During the forum, Robredo said that she has been talking with various energy advocacy groups to discuss concerns on the energy supply in the country and the country's commitment to the COP26, where the Philippines committed to become carbon neutral by 2050.
Robredo said the country has yet to form a roadmap towards the transition, as well as the retirement of coal plants.
"We have committed to become carbon neutral by 2050 but the first step is to accelerate this because we don't have a very clear transition plan yet. We need to immediately reorient this into a roadmap to increase our levels of energy self sufficiency," she said.
The aspiring president also talked about the prioritization of low-cost indigenous and renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind, and geothermal, which will aggressively promote utilization of non-coal indigenous fuel sources.