Mayor Lim vetoes oil depot removal

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim has vetoed the ordinance which calls for the closure of the Pandacan oil depot, saying the move might be taken “as a sign of political immaturity and would [make] a bad impression [on] businesses and investors who rely on stability and predictability of government actions.”

Lim said his decision was based on the recommendations made by Renato de la Cruz, the city’s legal officer, and Rafaelito Garayblas, the secretary to the mayor. Both are lawyers.

Ordinance 8283 which was passed by the city council last month reclassifies the area where the oil facility is located from an industrial to a commercial zone, paving the way for the closure of the depot which is under the category of heavy industrial.

Dela Cruz said the ordinance did not say how the city would cope with the loss of income as a result of the depot’s shutdown.

“The ordinance also fails to consider how that abrupt relocation of the oil depot will impact on the distribution system which will definitely translate to costs that will ultimately be reflected in the prices of oil and petroleum products,” he added.