Senatorial candidate Juan Ponce Enrile admitted that the Philippines planned to have nuclear weapons during the time of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
In an interview with CNN Philippines, Enrile said that if the country wanted to avoid being intimidated by bigger countries like China, the government should start getting Nuclear Weapons.
“You want to match China? Develop your nuclear weapons like North Korea,” Enrile said.
Enrile said that the Marcos administration next plan after building the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant is to get weapons to defend the Philippines.
“That is the reality among nations. That’s why we have to build our economy and build our military capability so that hindi tayo aapihin ng ganyan. Nung panahon ni Presidente Marcos, pinlano ‘yung bataan Nuclear Power Plant hindi lang para magkaroon tayo ng reserba na elektrisidad,” Enrile said.
“Plinano namin ‘yun para magkaroon tayo ng nuclear weapon para hindi tayo inaapi nang maski sino, kaya nating manindigan. Eh manindigan tayo ngayon, ano gagamitin natin? Kwitis?” he added.
According to him, no one can stop the Philippines if they really wanted to get Nuclear weapons, citing several countries already done getting it despite being stopped by more powerful countries.
“If Iran, Pakistan, Israel, North Korea, and even Cuba, before, could do it, if we went through it, I don’t think they could have stopped us,” he said.
The 95-year-old politician made the statements amid the conflict between the Philippines and China over the West Philippine Sea.
Even the government is careful in dealing with China, saying that the said country is more powerful and advance in terms of military capability.
Aside from getting Nuclear Weapons, the former Marcos administration also made a rocket under project Sta. Barbara.
However, the rockets were retired when Marcos loses his power and the fate of the project since its retirement remain unknown.
Source: CNN Philippines