Oppositors of gasoline refilling station want fair play
Oppositors of a proposed gasoline refilling station in Barangay Dulonan, Arevalo vow to bring their opposition to other forums should the Iloilo City Zoning Board of Appeals and Adjustment affirm its decision issuing a Special Use Permit to Santos Petroleum Corporation.
The oppositors led by Emmanuel Lucero will wait for the decision of the City Zoning Board of Appeals after last Friday's public hearing before taking another step to forward their protest over the construction of a gasoline refilling station in a residential area.
Last week's public hearing was an offshoot of a motion for reconsideration filed by oppositors with regard to the Special Use Permit granted by the zoning board. The oppositors signed a petition letter and submitted to Mayor Jerry Treñas, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, City Environment and Natural Resources, City Legal Office and Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board.
In the petition letter, the oppositors cited three reasons why the zoning board have to take into consideration their appeal. They argue that the zoning board approved the Special Use Permit without taking into consideration the merits presented by the petitioners and they did not imply in their petition that the leakage or smell of gasoline from the gasoline station could cause illness such as asthma to the children.
The oppositors added that the board should have also taken cognizance of the reaction of the residents who will be directly affected should the government allow the establishment of a gasoline refilling station in the are dubbed as a "firecracker zone."
The oppositors said the barangay passed two resolutions which paved way for the issuance of a Special Permit without informing all the residents. The first resolution approved by the barangay council was declaring the area from residential to commercial and the second one was a resolution allowing the Santos Petroleum Corporation to establish a gasoline refilling station.
The resolution allowing the Santos Petroleum Corporation to establish a gasoline refilling station was made after a hearing was made. In just one hearing, there were 61 people who voted for the construction of a gasoline station while 41 opposed.
There are some 5,000 registered residents in the four zones of Barangay Dulonan. The oppositors said the 61 residents do not represent the 2/3 of the entire community who could issue a certification in favor of Santos Petroleum.
Further, the oppositors said Santos is also the owner of the Villahanon gasoline station in Barangay Sta. Felomina which was closed after gasoline leaked from its depository tank in 2003. It caused illnesses to the nearby residents and Santos failed to provide proper remedy, they said.