A video posted on YouTube and Facebook (FB) claims that the Marcos government and the United States are discussing a deal to build a nuclear facility in the Philippines. This is misleading. The U.S. has only offered to share technical assistance, not build a nuclear facility.
The post appeared a day after an April 12 press conference, where U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken briefly mentioned the U.S. government’s steps to assist the Philippine government in its nuclear energy program.
There are no announcements from the U.S., or the Philippine government about a deal to construct a nuclear power plant in the country.
President Ferdinand Marcos has pushed for nuclear power as part of the country’s energy mix to address the increasing electricity costs, reviving interest in the decades-old mothballed nuclear power plant in Bataan province.
Posted on April 13 and 14 by YouTube channel Terong Explained and FB page Kyletv mysteries, respectively, the misleading ten-minute video had an introduction that claimed:
“Breaking news! Pilipinas, magkaka-nuclear na! Biden, nakaplano na ang uumpisahang deal kasama si President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. tungkol sa itatayong nuclear facility sa Pilipinas (The Philippines will now have nuclear [energy]! [U.S. President Joe] Biden has planned a deal with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. about a nuclear facility to be built in the Philippines)!”
Below is the transcript of Blinken’s actual statement:
“We’re also providing technical assistance and regulatory guidance to support the growth of the Philippines’ civil nuclear energy program. We’re looking to grow our cooperation through a 123 agreement on civil nuclear cooperation which will make it easier for us to share technical knowledge as well as nuclear material and equipment.
Source: U.S. Department of State, press release, timecode 03:04 to 03:21 (emphasis ours)
What is a 123 agreement?
Derived from Article 123 of the United States Atomic Energy Act, a 123 agreement provides a legal basis that limits a U.S. partner country – such as the Philippines – to only use U.S. acquired nuclear fuel, reactors, and equipment for peaceful purposes. It prevents the use of such resources to make nuclear weapons, the U.S. Department of State explained.
A 123 agreement between Manila and Washington does not mean that the Philippines is not open to other countries offering their nuclear technologies, Philippine Nuclear Research Institute Director Carlo Arcilla said on Nov. 29, 2022.
The misleading video by YouTube channel Terong Explained (created on Oct. 6, 2005) got more than 30,000 interactions, while the reuploaded version by FB page Kyletv mysteries (created on July 17, 2022) garnered over 69,514 interactions.
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