Makati mayor: Remediation needed despite CA order to reopen FPIC pipeline

MANILA, Philippines - Despite a ruling from the Court of Appeals recommending the opening of the 117-kilometer Batangas to Manila petroleum pipeline of the First Philippine Industrial Corp. (FPIC), the Makati City government remains convinced that remediation must continue as there remains “substantial” amounts of petroleum and other hazardous contaminants in the soil and groundwater of affected Barangay Bangkal.

“Our private consultants have reported that there are still substantial amounts of petroleum products beneath Bangkal – between 500,000 to 700,000 liters of products, most of which have already contaminated the groundwater and soil beneath the barangay,” Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay said.

“In this regard, remediation is still needed,” he added.

Binay said FPIC needs to be reminded that it has the responsibility to restore the conditions in Barangay Bangkal “before the city government discovered the leaks in their pipelines, the existence of which they initially denied.”

“FPIC should look beyond the economic gains from the re-opening of the pipeline and consider the long-term safety of the residents, which is the primary interest of the city government,” he said.

Binay also said it would probably take years of clean up before the levels of contamination in the soil and groundwater are brought down to safe levels.

“This should be FPIC’s primary responsibility,” he said.

Binay also called the attention of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources “for failing to remind FPIC of its responsibilities for what it has done to the environment.”

He also urged the Department of Health to continue to help the city in monitoring the health conditions of the residents of Bangkal, especially for possible long-term effects of the continued presence of contaminants in the soil and groundwater. 

The CA’s former 11th Division in its Dec. 21, 2012 ruling however also said that FPIC should first submit a certification from the Department of Energy that the pipeline is already safe for normal operation.

The Appellate Court also said that the pipeline’s re-opening is subject to the Supreme Court’s approval. The CA said should the High Court affirm its ruling, FPIC has 60 days to submit the DOE certification or face the permanent closure of its pipeline.

A Writ of Kalikasan issued by the High Court in November 2010 against FPIC was remanded to the CA for further hearings to determine if the pipeline would be reopened for operation or be closed permanently.