Oil firms to vacate Pandacan

Oil firms have agreed to vacate Pandacan depot in Manila before the June 30 deadline for the phase out set by the city government, Mayor Lito Atienza said yesterday.

Atienza said Shell, Petron and Caltex, known as the "Big 3," have started removing some of their facilities more than a month before the deadline of the transfer next month.

"The good news is that the Big 3 have started removing some of their facilities," said the mayor about the compliance of the oil firms to leave the depot in Manila.

The oil depots have to be moved from Pandacan by the end of June this year as required by law reclassifying the area from heavy industrial to commercial-residential zone.

Atienza said the city government is willing to assist the oil firms in the evacuation processes.

The mayor admitted that oil firms contribute the most to the coffers of the city government since they started operations several years ago. "But we cannot sacrifice the safety of the public over monetary considerations."

If an explosion takes place in the facilities, authorities estimate that many parts of Manila and portions of its neighboring cities like Caloocan City, Quezon City, Pasay City and Makati City would be destroyed.

The existence of the facilities in Pandacan is also seen as a serious threat to the safety of President Arroyo and the First Family, who stay in Malacañang, located a stone’s throw away from the Pandacan depot.

The threat of a possible explosion came to the fore after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, where hundreds were killed and scores remain missing. – Cecille Suerte Felipe