(POLITIKO) Senator Jinggoy Estrada has asked fellow lawmakers to support his bill that seeks to outlaw the production and use of chemical weapons.
“Layunin natin na huwag magamit ang dual-use chemicals sa pagbuo ng mapaminsalang chemical weapons,” said Estrada concerning the Senate bill that he filed, the proposed Chemical Weapons Prohibition Act.
Dual-use chemicals are substances commonly found in everyday items but can be easily converted into chemical weapons.
“Hindi natin nais na bigyan ng dagdag na pasanin o pigilan ang paglago ng ating local chemical industry, lalo’t ito ay isa sa pinakamalaking manufacturing sub-sector sa bansa na kinabibilangan ng 1,400 chemical manufacturing firms at 147,000 direct employees,” the senator assured.
“Ipinapanukala natin ang pag-streamline ng mga polisiyang sinusunod ng nasabing industriya at ang pagkakaroon ng coordination mechanism sa pagitan ng mga regulatory agencies upang hindi maging paulit-ulit o doble-doble ang mga permit na kailangan nilang kunin,” he added.
Estrada reminded that the Philippines is a signatory of the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
“Apart from being an international obligation, this measure provides the regime to manage chemicals of security concern, as well as the tools to prevent, respond to, and manage chemical incidents, that is crucial for national security and regional stability,” he said.
“Moreover, this acts as a deterrence as the bill provides stiff penalties for violations, in consonance with the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, and the Strategic Trade Management Act (STMA),” he added.
Estrada said the bill seeks “to effectively reduce the threat of chemical terrorism and ensure that advancements in chemistry will only be for peaceful purposes.”