Philippine homeowners displaced by an underground oil leak said Tuesday they will ask the Supreme Court to force the owners of the pipeline to replace it to ensure their safety.
The government shut down the 43-year-old pipeline on October 28 so the leak could be found and repaired, causing supply disruptions in Manila, which relies on the old pipeline for up to 70 percent of its needs.
The "Writ of Nature" suit will be filed before the Supreme Court within the week, Lorna Kapunan a lawyer for the affected homeowners.
"Due to the unchecked spillage of oil from the pipeline, the extent of the contamination could only be presumed to be extensive, affecting not only the residents… but also the current and future generations," she said.
Kapunan said the petition would ask the court to compel First Philippine Industrial Corp to replace the pipeline, claiming repairs will endanger residents living above the 117 kilometre (70 mile) line.
A company spokesmen could not be reached for comment Tuesday, but ABS-CBN television quoted First Philippine Industrial official Anthony Mabasa as saying five grain-sized holes have been found.
The section of the line is being cleaned ahead of repairs, which should be completed in two days, he reportedly added.
The government's energy department said petrol supply disruptions in Manila, a metropolis of 12 million people, are expected to continue at least until Saturday as oil products importers try to hire barges to transport them.
The pipeline links Manila's oil products depots to the port of Batangas.
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