MANILA, Philippines?Good news for West Tower residents.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. will no longer revoke the occupancy permit of the 22-story condominium on Osmeña Highway, Barangay Bangkal, out of consideration for the efforts being exerted by unit owners.

Binay?s decision was announced Monday by Joey Salgado, the city?s public information officer.

Earlier, the city government said it would be forced to cancel the building?s occupancy permit should management fail to siphon the floodwater that had accumulated in the basement, blocking experts? efforts to determine the source of an oil leak in the area.

Unit owners, who were forced to move out last month after the building was described as ?a ticking time bomb that could explode if ignited,? had no choice but to take over the draining operations after they were abandoned by the building administrator.

?On behalf of the West Tower residents, we would like to thank Mayor Binay for this,? Ruby Chuaunsu, one of the unit owners, told the Inquirer on the phone.

?Yesterday, we went to the building and prayed together for a miracle. I guess this is the miracle we were asking for,? she added.

Last week, Chuaunsu?s husband, Manuel, and other residents wrote to Binay to update him about the measures they were taking to comply with the city government?s orders.

They reported that the contractor they had hired begun working last Thursday with about 100,000 liters of floodwater siphoned from the basement.

?Based on the initial estimate of [the contractor], [the] basement [should be] free of water within five to seven days,? they said in their letter, a copy of which was given to the Inquirer.

?We have to note that this is based on [the contractor?s] initial estimation of the volume of water in the basement and the projected ingress of new water into the basement from the surrounding area,? they added.

At the same time, the residents asked the city government to form a team which would determine the source of the oil leak in the basement.

An oil pipeline being operated by First Philippine Industrial Corp. (FPIC) is located just a few meters away from the building. However, Makati City officials ruled out the possibility that the oil found in the basement was from the pipeline after FPIC personnel dug up the area and found no leaks.

The pipeline transports fuel from Batangas refineries to the Pandacan oil depot in Manila.

?We will be keeping your good office updated as to the progress of the removal of the water from our basement so that if it can be done in less time, the investigative team will be ready to do their work at the soonest possible time,? the residents said.

On the possible filing of charges against the building administrator, Chuaunsu said their main focus at this time was to determine the source of the oil leak.

?We want to go back home,? she said.