Diesel fuel, not water, from pumps in Bataan

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) ordered yesterday a probe into reports that water pumps in Barangay San Pablo in Dinalupihan, Bataan have been yielding diesel fuel instead of water since last Nov. 29.

The DENR cited a report from the office of Dinalupihan Mayor Joel Jaime Payumo attributing the contamination to a damaged portion of the 64-kilometer underground pipeline, measuring 10 inches in diameter, between the Subic Freeport in Zambales and Clark Freeport in Pampanga. 

The pipeline has a capacity of 21,850 barrels of fuel.

The pipeline, according to the report, was accidentally hit sometime last Nov. 29 during the implementation of a project by a firm called Comtel Industrial Services.  

Barangay folk reportedly did not immediately report the incident to authorities as most of them worked for the firm.

The DENR quoted Barangay San Pablo chairman Roberto de Padua as saying that of 11 electrically operated water pumps in his village, five have been yielding diesel fuel.

Some enterprising local folk, De Padua said, were reportedly selling the fuel to unsuspecting motorists. Most barangay residents now buy water for daily use.

The pipeline, which dates back to the era of the US military at its former bases at Subic and Clark, is now operated by the Philippine Coastal Storage and Pipeline Corp. based in Subic where it maintains a 135.8-hectare facility that can store 3.4 million barrels of petroleum and petroleum-related products.

The fuel products are transported to Clark via the pipeline with fire protection and pollution control systems and 12 isolation valve boxes in between. The funneled fuel are sold within Clark and also transported beyond after taxes are paid.

The pipeline, which runs through parts of Zambales, Bataan and Pampanga, is secured by the military. In 2002, then Central Luzon police director Oscar Calderon admitted that the pipeline was an easy terrorist target. – With Ric Sapnu