Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Article (news)

National Bureau of Investigation photo

Allison Co

ABS-CBN News

MANILA &mdash; Samples seized from steel plants raided by law enforcement were substandard and also radioactive, the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute disclosed on Thursday during the second inquiry hearing of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs into the domestic steel industry.Deputy Director Maria Teresa Salabit said PNRI &quot;detected several raw materials during the raids and it&rsquo;s very consistent that these raw materials possess traces of a presence of uranium and thorium.&quot;She said the institute believes the raw materials &mdash; she mentioned undish and side plates &mdash; are imported and used in &quot;the process in the steelmaking industry.&quot;She added: &quot;&#39;Yung tundish na &#39;yun at &#39;yung side plates, parehong radioactive.&quot;&nbsp;(The tundish and the side plates are radioactive.)<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/9/3/tony-yang-and-steel-firm-official-face-senate-probe-over-citizenship-claims-1933">Tony Yang and steel firm official face Senate probe over citizenship claims </a></div>National Bureau of Investigation Senior Agent Zulikha Marie Conales said the radiation levels in the materials seized&nbsp;PNRI, however, said it does not have shipping documents needed to trace where these raw materials exactly came from.The Bureau of Customs also told Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chair of the economic affairs panel, that the bureau has neither the data to trace the materials&rsquo; origins nor capability to detect radioactive materials.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/20/paocc-hits-chinese-embassy-for-disregard-of-philippine-laws-over-sanjia-operation-1425">PAOCC hits Chinese Embassy for &lsquo;disregard&rsquo; of Philippine laws over Sanjia operation </a></div><div> </div><div>ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATIONS</div>The Department of Environment and Natural Resources reported that several steel plants using Induction Furnace technology and radioactive materials were also found to have violated their environmental compliance certificates.&ldquo;Several of our regional offices issued notice of violations for violation of the ECC,&rdquo; DENR-Environmental Management Bureau Atty. Dion Maghirang said, confirming that contaminated steel production is inherently dangerous and poses an environmental concern.Hontiveros also asked the Department of Trade and Industry whether the agency is considering banning IF technology, as other countries have done.Trade Assistant Secretary Regino Mallari Jr. said the department &quot;would not be in a position nor do we have the competence&quot; to decide on that. He said DTI would rather focus on product quality.DTI, however, vowed to strengthen its standards for steel, particularly through the implementation of Philippine National Standard 49-2026, which it hopes to begin by the end of the month.&ldquo;We are on track to implement the PNS 49-2026&hellip; We are studying all of the positions written and given by the stakeholders,&quot; Mallari added.Hontiveros vowed to continue the investigation into the steel plants.&ldquo;Dapat din malaman ang kumpletong epekto nitong substandard steel at substandard steel facilities, sa kalusugan at kaligtasan ng mga manggagawa at komunidad,&quot; she said in her closing remarks.(We also need to learn the full effect that substandard steel and substandard steel facilities may have on the health and safety of workers and the community.)

Following law enforcement raids on steel plants in the country, samples revealed that substandard steel products are also radioactive, the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) disclosed on Thursday.

Following law enforcement raids on steel plants in the country, samples revealed that substandard steel products are also radioactive, the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) disclosed on Thursday.

PNRI: Samples from raided steel plants substandard, radioactive

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

BINI

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Nation

PNRI: Samples from raided steel plants substandard, radioactive

Allison Co,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 03, 2026 08:39 PM PHT

Read More:

Senate

Committee on Economic Affairs

steel

substandard steel

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

Sign Up

I have read and agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

Haven't received our newsletter?

Check your inbox to verify and confirm your subscription. If you don’t see it, please check your spam or junk folder.

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.