MORONG, Bataan, Philippines (PNA) -- A group of anti-nuke protesters from Bataan on Thursday held a rally at the gate of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) at Napot Point in this town, urging President Benigno S. Aquino III to immediately dismantle the plant.

With banners bearing signs like, “Chernobyl Noon, Fukushima Ngayon – Hindi pa ba Malinaw ang Aral? – Lansagin ang BNPP, ” the protesters marched towards the tightly secured BNPP gate and held a short program while chanting various slogans against the nuclear power plant. They lay down at the pavement fronting the BNPP main gate for some minutes and later burned a replica of the plant.

“The nuclear reactor crisis in Japan is a strong and categorical statement against nuclear plants, Mother Nature has spoken and we must listen,” they said.

The rallyists belong to Nuclear Free Bataan Movement Network and the Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya.

Fr. Fernando Loreto, Morong parish priest, said that the Diocese of Bataan, led by Bishop Ruperto Cruz and the priests from 11 towns and one city, stood firm on its stand against operating the nuclear power plant in Bataan or in any other part of the country.

The priest said their position on the dismantling of BNPP is non-negotiable.

This as former Pangasinan Mark Cojuangco on Wednesday made known here that he and his wife, Rep. Kimi Cojuangco, have decided to declare time-out in their proposal to rehabilitate BNPP until reputable international agencies release final reports on what really happened at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.