NBI Director Melvin Matibag halts illegal radioactive steel production in Philippines

National Bureau of Investigation Director Atty. Melvin Matibag announced that a joint operation uncovered the unlawful possession of radioactive‑bearing industrial materials and the manufacture of structurally substandard steel by Chuangxing Steel Incorporated at a plant in Magalang, Pampanga. The raid on 18 July 2026 seized contaminated steel products, production equipment and other radioactive materials, and resulted in the arrest of four company officers.

The operation, coordinated with the Presidential Anti‑Organized Crime Commission, the Armed Forces, the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, the Air Force, Coast Guard CBRN units, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Health and local authorities, protected 347 Filipino and 37 Chinese workers and halted nationwide distribution of the hazardous construction materials. Inspections also revealed numerous labor and safety violations, and ten workers showed signs of occupational radiological exposure, prompting the DOH to recommend long‑term medical surveillance.