INIHAYAG ni Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana na hindi nais ng Pilipinas na bumuo ng mga nuclear weapons.

At maraming dahilan kung bakit hindi ito puwede o kayang gawin ng bansa, aniya pa.

“Develop our own nuclear weapons to enforce the tribunal ruling? Very unlikely for several reasons. First, we are not technically and technologically capable. Second, we are a signatory to the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty (also known as the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons),” sabi ni Lorenzana sa mensaheng ipinadala sa mga mamamahayag nitong Sabado.

Ipinahayag ng DND chief ang naturang komento sa nang pagdiskusyunan ang sinambit ni dating Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, na kung gusto umano ng ‘Pinas na manalo laban sa China sa international tribunal, dapat umano nitong bumuo ng nuclear weapons.

“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,” sabi pa ni Lorenzana.

Ang Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons na kilala rin bilang NPT ay nilagdaan noong Hulyo 1, 1968 at naipatupad noong Marso 5, 1970.

Ang kasunduan ay isinakatuparan upang mapigilan ang pagkalat ng mga nuclear weapons at weapons technology.

Bukod dito, layunin din ng NPT na i-promote ang kooperasyon ng publiko para sa mapayapang paggamit ng nuclear energy at “to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament”.

“Third, our Constitution states that we denounce war as an instrument of national policy. Nuclear weapon is not a defensive weapon but an offensive one,” sabi ng DND chief.

Noong 2016, ipinawalang-bisa ng United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ang 9-dash line map ng China, na sumasaklaw sa halos kabuuan ng West Philippine Sea o South China Sea.