MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang called for more consultations on the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), saying safety should come first amid moves to open the mothballed facility.

“Safety is the utmost concern of the President. What is needed here is a thorough review,” deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez told a news conference at the Palace Thursday.

“I have not seen the BNPP as part of the priority list [of Malacañang], but of course, we know that the priority of the President is we should be energy efficient in the next few years. There are many other programs aside from the BNPP,” Golez said.

Located in Morong town, Bataan province, the BNPP had not been opened since it was built in 1984 due to safety concerns.

Recently, Pangasinan Representative Mark Cojuangco filed a bill calling for the “rehabilitation, commissioning and commercial operation” of the nuclear facility.