SECOND District Representative Mark Cojuangco has blasted the pastoral letter signed by 33 Catholic bishops opposing the proposed nuclear power plant in Labrador, calling it “full of factual errors” and “misleading the public.”

Cojuangco, a longtime advocate of nuclear energy, said he has spent years explaining the project to his constituents precisely because of the controversy surrounding it. According to him, those who oppose the plant should also present realistic alternatives to the energy crisis instead of “confusing the public.”

The lawmaker questioned the accuracy of the bishops’ data, particularly their statements on the number of nuclear power plants worldwide. Cojuangco insisted that more than 450 plants are currently operating globally, with around 60 more under construction, reflecting a global shift toward nuclear energy.

He also challenged the pastoral letter’s assertion that renewable energy is sufficient for the Philippines, pointing out that the country’s long rainy season makes solar energy unreliable without expensive backup systems that still depend on imported fuel. This, he argued, would only make Filipinos poorer in the long run.

Cojuangco rejected claims that nuclear energy poses “irreversible long-term risks,” saying history shows it is among the cleanest and safest power sources. He pointed to Japan and South Korea’s renewed shift to nuclear despite past incidents as proof of its importance to modern economies. He also accused the bishops’ pastoral letter of distorting the Fukushima tragedy, stressing that the deaths were caused by the quake and tsunami, not radiation. He questioned how the Church’s “prophetic” warnings came only after the incident.

Raising doubts about the letter’s authorship, Cojuangco asked whether Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas himself wrote it or if it was drafted by staff “with anti-nuclear bias.” He noted that some bishops listed as signatories—such as Bishop Jacinto José of Urdaneta—had previously expressed support for nuclear energy and reportedly did not authorize the use of their names.

Cojuangco warned that long-standing political resistance to nuclear energy has stunted the country’s development, stressing that dependence on imported coal and liquefied natural gas continues to drain national wealth. He said nuclear power offers decades of energy security at a far lower cost.

He criticized the Marcos administration for failing to revive the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, saying political hesitation has left the multibillion-dollar facility idle while electricity rates keep rising.

Cojuangco acknowledged that nuclear power will never draw full consensus, but urged the public and Church leaders to rely on scientific evidence rather than fear. He said he will address the pastoral letter once the Church issues its official reply. (Eva Visperas)