SC lifts writ against FPIC, allows leak tests

By Benjamin B. Pulta 12/13/2011

A writ handed down by the Supreme Court (SC) against the Lopez-family controlled First Philippine Industrial Corp. (FPIC) last year stopping the operations of its Batangas-Pandacan pipeline has been lifted by the tribunal to allow for leak tests.

In an en banc resolution, the SC granted the motion of the FPIC and ordered the lifting of the writ or the temporary environment protection order (Tepo) preventing the pipeline’s operation “for the duration of not more than 48 hours from the start of the proposed test runs and only for the duration of said tests in order for FPIC to conduct the tests for purposes of checking the integrity of the WOPL…”

The court considered the recommendation of the University of the Philippines-National Institute of Geological Sciences (UP-NIGS), the UP Institute of Civil Engineering (UPICE) and the Department of Energy (DoE), as well as the joint manifestation endorsing the leak tests that was submitted to the Court on Oct. 3 by the DoE and UPICE.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20111213met1.html