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THE
possible loss of lives in case of terror attacks should
the oil terminals remain in Pandacan is something oil
companies will not argue against, Edgar Chua, country
chairman of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., told the
BusinessMirror Thursday.
“The
question is, is it really unsafe?” he asked, saying they
themselves will be the first to close it down if it was
not safe.
Chevron
Philippines Inc., Petron Corp. and Shell have their
respective oil-storage terminals in Pandacan, which
caters to almost half of the country’s fuel
requirements, particularly the aviation and shipping
sectors, 100 percent of the country’s lubricant
requirements and 45 percent of chemical needs
nationwide, including strategic industries.
Chua
said they would try to seek legal remedies, including
securing a motion for reconsideration from the Supreme
Court en banc, but quickly added that there is nothing
definite yet.
He noted
that Shell’s legal counsel is currently discussing
possible legal remedies they can take.
On
Wednesday the Supreme Court upheld its earlier decision,
ordering the City of Manila to enforce its Ordinance
8027 and giving the three oil companies 90 days to
submit to the Manila Regional Trial Court a
comprehensive plan and relocation schedule with a
maximum of a five-year time frame.
The
closure of the Pandacan depot is said to result in a
tight supply situation and supply disruptions.
Shell
said the recent accident involving the explosion of an
oil tanker had nothing to do with the depot being in
Pandacan, and could have happened regardless of where
the depot was located.
The oil
firm said moving the depot out of Manila would only mean
more trucks on the road because they will have to be
hauled from longer distances.
Shell
promised the Department of Energy that it would fully
cooperate and would do its best to look at best options
to ensure customers a steady supply of fuel and
lubricants.
Petron
public-affairs manager Virginia Ruivivar said, “At
present, there are no viable relocation sites that have
the adequate infrastructure [access roads, etc.] in
place, accessible to deep shores and [are] close enough
to Metro Manila to ensure timely delivery of [oil]
products.”
Chevron
officials said they would thoroughly review the decision
once they get a copy of the document.
Mark
Quebral, Chevron manager for policy, government and
public affairs, said the Pandacan depot is the “energy
lifeline” of Metro Manila and the rest of the country.
He said
Metro Manila and other areas in
Luzon are important markets that need to be served reliably and
efficiently in a safe and secure manner. He said
Pandacan offers the best location and the most strategic
advantage to meet the standards for efficient, safe and
reliable operations.
“We
assure our customers and the consuming public that we
will remain focused on ensuring that our facilities and
operations continue to adhere to the highest
engineering, operating and safety standards which are
acceptable to the local communities surrounding Pandacan,”
Quebral said. |
