Manila to await court decision on oil depot

The local government of Manila will await a Philippine Supreme Court decision on a case involving the closure of a key oil depot in the city’s Pandacan area, Mayor Alfredo Lim said. Petron Corp., Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., and Chevron Philippines (formerly Caltex) earlier filed a petition before the court appealing its earlier decision that upheld a city ordinance calling for the removal of the oil companies’ depot in Pandacan due to safety concerns. The Pandacan oil depot, which is jointly operated by the three oil companies, currently supplies half of the country’s fuel needs, including 1,800 retail stations in Metro Manila and outlying provinces. (October 13, 2007)