Oil spill probe: Laborer said to have opened tank valve in jest

A member of Philippine Coast Guard checks the oil spill on the Pasig River in Sta. Ana, Manila. Authorities discovered the pipe connecting to a large tank burst and spilled oil straight into the river. Residents in some parts of the city complained of a foul smell near the area with reports some was rushed to a local hospital after experiencing shortness of breath. RICHARD A. REYES/INQUIRER

MANILA, Philippines — Was there a leakage or was it a joke gone bad?

A laborer of the mini-depot in Sta. Ana, Manila, which was identified as the source of the oil spill in Pasig River over the weekend has told authorities that a co-worker opened the valve of Tank 9 in jest, according to an incident report obtained by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The document did not name both workers and did not elaborate on the circumstance.

About 1,000 liters of oil spilled into the Pasig River Saturday night from the storage facility of Larraine’s Marketing, causing panic among residents while at least four had to go to the hospital for breathing difficulty.

Gilbert Celestino, local disaster risk reduction and management officer, said the cause of the oil spill was still under investigation, as of Wednesday, and a test would determine whether there was a leakage.

“A hydrotest will be conducted within the week to determine the source of the leakage,” he said.

About 44,000 liters of used oil have been removed from Tank 9. There are about 30 tanks in the mini depot.

The Manila City Hall’s Bureau of Permits, on the other hand, ordered on Wednesday, the closure of the facility for illegal waste disposal in violation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and the Sanitation Code of the Philippines.

Larraine’s Marketing at 2657 Old Panaderos St. is registered to Ma. Theresa Enriquez. A certain Mark Anthony Co, who introduced himself to City Hall officials as a representative of the company, received the closure order.

Richard Zacarias of the Bureau of Permits’ closure unit said the meeting went smoothly and the representative agreed to comply with the documentary requirements.

Larraine’s Marketing apparently lacked the necessary documents to operate, such as fire, sanitation, and electrical permits.

Larraine’s will have to pay the penalties for these permits aside from the penalty that will be imposed by the Coast Guard for the oil spill.

The company would still be investigated and would face raps for the oil spill regardless of the documentary compliance, Zacarias said.

Superintendent Remigio Sedanto, the Sta. Ana police station commander, said about four uniformed policemen would be deployed at the establishment to ensure compliance with the closure order.