'People's initiative' vs oil depot launched

MANILA, Philippines - A city-wide People’s Initiative against Ordinance 8187, which allows the Pandacan oil depots to stay, was launched yesterday morning after more than 2,000 signatures of Manila residents needed for the ordinance’s revocation was submitted to the Manila City Council.

Concerned People’s Organizations such as Manileño Kontra-Abuso (MKA), and several other non-government organizations, socio-civic groups, lawyers’ groups, environmentalists, religious associations and ordinary citizens banded together to appeal for revocation of Ordinance 8187, which critics claim permits the introduction into Manila of highly pollutive and extremely hazardous industries.

The Big 3 oil companies – Chevron Philippines; Petron Corp., and Pilipinas Shell – own the depot in Pandacan.

The petitioners filed before the city council the People’s Initiative Ordinance.

“Manileños are exercising their rights under the Local Government Code of 1991 and Republic Act No. 6735 (Initiative and Referendum Act) which provides procedures where registered voters may directly propose, enact, amend or repeal an existing ordinance, such as this anti-Manila and anti-Manileño law, Ordinance 8187,” MKA’s Danny Isiderio said.

According to Isiderio, to repeal Ordinance 8187 through a local initiative, a petition with an initial 2,000 signatures of registered voters, was filed before the City Council.

Isiderio said the City Council will have 30 days to take favorable action, then the petitioners will be given 90 days to collect the required number of signatures – 10 percent of the city’s 1,020,144 registered voters.

Per district, signatures of only three percent of registered voters is necessary, said Isiderio.

Tony Santos of Samahang Magkakapitbahay ng Timog Balagtas (SMTB) said after the 90-day period, if the Commission on Elections (Comelec) determines the required number of signatories is enough, there would be a plebiscite.

Meanwhile, lawyer Vladimir Alarique Cabigao, counsel of the People’s Initiative, said they will not recognize any environmental assessor proposed by the oil companies to conduct assessment on the safety of the Pandacan oil depot because for as long as the assessor is paid by the oil companies, its independence would be in doubt.

No assessment by anyone would make Pandacan and its residents feel safer, said Cabigao. He said there is no such thing as “acceptable level of risk” because no amount of risk, no matter how small it is, would be acceptable to the people in the community around the depot.

Joint safety study proposed

The three oil majors are inviting all concerned stakeholders to take part in the planned independent environment and safety assessment on the Pandacan oil depot.

This was an open plea issued by the heads of Petron Corp., Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., and Chevron Philippines yesterday to once and for all end claims from various sectors that the Pandacan oil facility is a major pollutant and unsafe from any terrorists attacks.

Edgar Chua, Shell country chairman, said they expect to come up with the terms of reference for the commissioning of this independent body by next month.

“The oil companies want to have a solid evidence to show that our facilities are safe and non-polluting. We hope they will accept the results of the study,” he said.

The oil firms said they are willing to shoulder the cost for the assessment and assured that the expense will not be passed on to consumers.

“We are open to other parties who would want to contribute. The contribution from other parties may also allay fear that since we are paying of the assessment we may influence the results,” Chua said.

Petron president Eric Recto, on the other hand, said they have no idea yet as to how much the assessment would be as this would be the first time that such exercise will be carried out.

“We will ask all stakeholders including the Church, government, business and Manila City Hall officials-from both sides of the debate to participate in the selection process,” they said.

 Chua said the results of the assessment would definitely be honored by the oil firms, but added that the Pandacan facility has surpassed international and Philippine standards on safety and pollution control as attested by the yearly issuance of an environmental certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, headed by Lito Atienza, former Manila mayor. – With Donnabelle Gatdula