“Radioactive material” was found at some sites at the steel manufacturing plant raided by the authorities over the weekend in Misamis Oriental, the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) said on Tuesday.
“The raw materials [of the steel plant] have matched the presence of naturally-occurring radioactive thorium,” PNRI radiation safeguards and security specialist Teresa Salabit told reporters through teleconference at a press briefing in Camp Crame.
“The radioactive materials that are present in the site have already been contained, have been marked, and will be turned over to the authorities as evidence,” she added.
The steel manufacturing plant in Tagoloan town, belonging to the Philippine Sanjia Steel Corporation, was raided by authorities last Friday, arresting 69 Chinese and a Filipino who were allegedly running the operation.
Physically present at the briefing, citing Sanjia’s articles of incorporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag noted that the company began operating on Oct. 17, 2018.