Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has rejected a proposal for the country to develop its nuclear weapons capability as a way of driving away the Chinese that occupied some of the disputed areas within the Philippine territory.
“We appreciate Sen. Enrile’s patriotic duty to suggest how to protect what is legally ours but developing a nuclear weapon is not the way to proceed,” said Lorenzana.
The Defense chief was reacting to the statement of former Defense minister and senatorial candidate Juan Ponce Enrile that the only way to enforce the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration is for the Philippines to develop its nuclear weapons capability.
The Philippines won in 2016 the case it filed against China which claims almost all of the South China Sea, including islands and rock formations that were inside the Philippine’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
The ruling, however, was reportedly shelved after President Duterte took power, with his tack of being friendly to China.
But the tack appeared to have not worked out after Chinese militias were seen swarming the Pag-asa Island and the recent report of massive destruction of coral reefs in the area due to harvesting of giant clams or “taklobos” by Chinese poachers.
Lorenzana cited three main reasons why the Philippines cannot initiate more to develop nuclear weapon capability.
First and foremost, he said, the Philippines has no technical and technological capability.
And even if the country would have scientists to help in the nuclear weapon development, Lorenzana said that the Philippines being a signatory to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty prevents the country from doing so.
“Third, our Constitution states that we denounce war as an instrument of national policy,” said Lorenzana.
“Nuclear weapon is not a defensive weapon but an offensive one,” he stressed. (Aaron Recuenco)
