MANILA, Philippines—A group of Manila residents asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to order the Commission on Elections to pave the way for a people’s initiative to repeal an ordinance allowing the Pandacan oil depot to keep on operating.

Members of Mañileno Kontra Abuso (MKA) asked the high court to reverse a Comelec resolution dated Sept. 8 which rejected a petition signed by around 2,000 residents seeking the repeal of Ordinance 8187.

Under the ordinance, highly pollutive and extremely hazardous industries such as petroleum refineries and oil depots will be allowed to operate in the city.

The Comelec earlier said the group failed to file its petition within 30 days after it submitted a copy of the people’s initiative to the Manila City Council as required under the local government code.

MKA, however, said that the poll body may have misinterpreted the law.

It added that under the local government code, the petition must first be submitted to the city council which has 30 days to act on it.

“The council has to take action first before we can submit our petition [to the Comelec],” the group said.

According to MKA, the petition containing the signatures of 2,000 residents seeking the repeal of Ordinance 8187 was submitted to the city council on June 23.

The council, however, failed to act on it within the 30-day period, prompting MKA to submit the petition to the poll body on Aug. 25.

Under the Local Government Code of 1991 and Republic Act 6735 (Initiative and Referendum Act) registered voters may directly propose, enact, amend or repeal an existing ordinance.

They may file a petition with the city council which has 30 days to take favorable action, after which petitioners will be given 90 days to collect the required number of signatures.

Once the required number of signatures has been reached, the petition may be filed with the Comelec which can order the holding of a plebiscite.

According to the MKA, Ordinance 8187 violated the people’s right to a healthy and safe environment as the group cited the dangers posed by the oil depot and other pollutive and hazardous industries to residents in the Pandacan and Sta. Ana areas.