Philippine Steel Plant in Davao Raided: Radioactive Isotopes Detected in Finished Rebar and Multiple Materials at the Facility

On August 14, Philippine authorities conducted a raid on Davao Mighty Steel Corp., a steel manufacturing plant located in Barangay Ilang, Bunawan District, Davao City. The operation followed an investigation launched by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after receiving reports that the company was involved in the production and sale of substandard steel rebar, with the scope of the investigation subsequently expanding after radioactive isotopes were detected in commercially sold DMS rebar.

The operation was led by the National Bureau of Investigation, with the participation of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), and was supported by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), the Philippine Air Force, the Philippine Coast Guard's Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear emergency response units, the Coast Guard Special Operations Group, and the Army's 10th Infantry Division. PAOCC Executive Director Benjamin Acorda stated that the objective of the operation was to protect public life and safety, and to hold those responsible accountable based on evidence and legal procedures.

Authorities reported that 174 Filipino workers were rescued during the operation. These workers had been facing continuous occupational exposure risks in an industrial environment where radioactive materials, dust, fumes, waste, and production residues were found.

Technical testing revealed the presence of radioactive isotopes across multiple operational processes and areas of the facility, including uranium-238, thorium-228, thorium-232, and radium-226. These isotopes were detected in finished DMS rebar, furnace-related materials, residual black sand, industrial powders, dust, waste, wastewater, and other production and storage materials.

The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute also confirmed that the company and its designated officers and personnel did not hold the required licenses or authorizations to acquire, receive, possess, use, store, sell, transfer, import, or export nuclear and radioactive materials. Inspections by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources also found that the company's Environmental Compliance Certificate did not declare or authorize the presence, handling, processing, storage, or use of radioactive materials within its facility.

Beyond the radioactive material issues, product quality testing also raised regulatory concerns. Authorities stated that of 8 DMS rebar samples purchased from commercial hardware stores across multiple locations in Mindanao, 4 failed to meet the mandatory quality variation requirements set forth in Philippine National Standard 49:2020, accounting for 50% of the total samples.

NBI investigators also discovered rebar bearing DMS markings in the debris of buildings that collapsed following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao on June 8, 2026. These structures included schools, hospitals, government buildings, village health centers, and residential homes, located in parts of Sarangani Province, Davao del Sur Province, and Davao Occidental Province. Authorities simultaneously emphasized that the discovery of DMS rebar in collapsed buildings does not in itself establish that the rebar caused the structural failures, as the causes of structural collapse still need to be determined through engineering assessments.

At present, the National Bureau of Investigation has referred the case to the Department of Justice to pursue corresponding legal proceedings for alleged violations of the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act, the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act, the Philippine Environmental Impact Assessment System, and the Philippine Consumer Act, among others.

PAOCC stated that relevant agencies will continue to coordinate with the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Health, and other institutions to ensure the safe management of radioactive materials, protect workers and surrounding communities, and track affected steel products that have already entered the market circulation.