Isko to Big 3:Start packing

MANILA, Philippines - Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno asked the country’s three largest oil firms – Shell, Petron and Chevron – over the weekend to start preparing to leave their oil depot in Pandacan.

“They should start packing up their things because we don’t want (another oil spill) to happen. They have to leave in 2016,” Moreno said.

On June 22, bunker fuel leaked from Larraine Marketing’s storage tanks into the Pasig River. The fuel depot, which is far from the Pandacan facility, has been shut down.

The Supreme Court has twice upheld that the oil depot’s location in a highly populated area poses a threat to residents.

Only Petron has said it is preparing to leave the depot, which it jointly operates with Chevron and Shell, by the first quarter of 2016.

Moreno said there is an existing ordinance approved by the city council that provides for the mandatory removal of the oil depot in Pandacan in 2016.

He said during his stint as a councilor, he was among those pushing for the immediate transfer of the oil depot from Pandacan because of the danger it posed to residents.    

“But in 2010, there was a global financial meltdown. The three big oil companies requested for an extension of (their) stay in Pandacan,” he said.

Moreno said the city government allowed the three big oil firms to operate the oil depot on the condition that after five to seven years, they will leave voluntarily.

“But after three years, they changed their tune and they do not want to remove the oil depot anymore from Pandacan,” he said.

Moreno said this prompted the city council to pass an ordinance for the mandatory removal of the oil depot in 2016.

One term

Meanwhile, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada assured Moreno yesterday that he will only serve as mayor for one term. During the campaign period, Estrada said he sought the post to prepare Manila for Moreno.

“This is my last hurrah,” Estrada said.

Moreno said he can wait. “I am still young. I can wait and I can learn from Mayor Erap. There is nothing to worry about because he has his word of honor,” he said.

Moreno said Estrada opened a new chapter in Manila since only two men – Alfredo Lim and Lito Atienza – have been elected mayor for the past 21 years.