By Ellson Quismorio
ACT Teachers Party‑list Rep. Antonio Tinio has called for the scrapping of the proposed Pax Silica Economic Security Zone in Clark, warning that the project would drain national power resources and pave the way for risky nuclear technology.
Tinio, a House deputy minority leader, argued that diverting five gigawatts of electricity to Pax Silica would worsen shortages and drive up costs for ordinary Filipinos.
“The solution is not to compound one disastrous policy with another. The solution is to scrap Pax Silica, which is a brazen resource grab, and to prioritize genuine national development and energy security for the Filipino people,” he said.
The lawmaker linked the project to the recent signing of the Philippines‑US “123 Agreement” on civil nuclear cooperation, claiming it could justify the importation of small modular reactors (SMRs).
He described SMRs as “untested and dangerous,” citing risks of radioactive waste, accidents, and proliferation.
Tinio stressed that Pax Silica is “a problem of its own making” and should not be used as an excuse to introduce microreactors and other nuclear technologies that could expose communities to hazards.
He urged the public to oppose both the Pax Silica project and the push for modular nuclear power, which he said would deepen dependence on US technology and capital.
