A man has been convicted by a trial court in Cagayan de Oro City for illegal trading of depleted but still radioactive uranium, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Friday, August 8.

In a statement, the NBI said that Roy Cabesas Vistal was convicted by the Cagayan de Oro City municipal trial court in cities (MTCC) and sentenced to one year in prison for violation of Republic Act No. 5207, the Atomic Energy Regulatory and Liability Act of 1968.

It said that Vistal was arrested last year as a result of a series of operations conducted by the NBI and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

During the operations, two other persons were arrested in Pasay City and the NBI identified them as Mae Vergel Zagala and Arnel Gimpaya Santiago. The NBI did not disclose what happened to Zagala and Santiago.

In Pasay City, it said 20 kilograms of metal bars and six kilograms of black powder which tested positive for depleted Uranium-235 and Uranium-238 were seized; in Cagayan de Oro, 20 to 30 kilograms of contaminated and other radioactive materials; and, in Mandaue City, 60 kilograms of block metals that tested positive for depleted Uranium-235 and Uranium-238.

The NBI said the operation stemmed from the request for assistance by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) to investigate the alleged illicit trade of depleted Uranium in violation of R.A. No. 5207, as amended.

It said the PNRI warned that “the illicit trade of depleted uranium, especially with its form and quantity, poses a serious threat to national security, should it fall to the wrong hands, since the same can be used as a feed material for Plutonium, a known material for nuclear weapon, or as ‘dirty bomb’ or radiation dispersal devices (RDDs).”

It added that if the radioactive metal is not properly stored, “it can have adverse health effects on people in close contact with the material, particularly with long and constant exposure.”

“The powdered form poses a greater risk if ingested or inhaled, as it could result in radiation poisoning, cancer, and kidney and lung diseases,” it warned.

NBI Director Jaime B. Santiago lauded the MTCC’s decision as a landmark conviction.

But Santiago urged the country’s lawmakers “to review and update R.A. No. 5207, impose stricter penalties against violators, and impress upon the public of the seriousness and gravity of any violation concerning nuclear safety and security.”