By Christine F. Herrera

At least 800 activists formed on Sunday a human banner at the University of Philippines Sunken Garden to block the revival of the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tañada III and Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros joined Greenpeace and Freedom from Debt Coalition in urging some 190 lawmakers to withdraw their signatures from House Bill 4631, principally authored by Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco.

The protesters came in full force with their families in tow.

Ten-year-old Niko Torres passed up a get-together at the Community of Learners, where he is enrolled in Grade Four.

“I am here with my family because I do not want the Chernobyl incident to happen to us and I want Congress to know that,” Torres, who waved a “No to nukes” placard, told Standard Today.

Francis de la Cruz of Greenpeace said the human banner showed how the unused nuclear power plant was vehemently opposed.

“This is a statement of the people’s opposition to the revival of the BNPP. Congressman Mark Cojuangco’s plans to ‘validate’ with the purpose of reviving this nuclear plant is the height of irresponsibility and arrogance. The BNPP was mothballed for safety reasons, which today still remain undisputed by any expert or study,” he said.

Beau Baconguis, Greenpeace Southeast Asia campaigns manager for the Philippines, said reviving the plant would force Filipinos to depend on “the world’s most unsafe and most expensive source of electricity.”

The bill, when passed, will require all energy consumers to pay at least 10 centavos more for electricity to partially shoulder the plant’s rehabilitation, and also allows the government to enter into multi-million-dollar loans for the plant’s commissioning.

“Let us not throw good money after the bad. We are not yet sure if we are through paying the original BNPP, yet here is the government again proposing to incur new illegitimate debts in order to address an imaginary power shortage,” said Etta Rosales, coalition vice president.