President Rodrigo Duterte has laid down the tracks which water concessionaires Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Company, Inc. may traverse with respect to the new water provision agreement the government is crafting. Said contract no longer bears the onerous terms found in the old one. “I will have to offer it, the distribution system. It’s either they accept with no guarantee that they will not be prosecuted, or if they do not accept it, then I will nationalize the water system and prosecute them for plunder or stafa . . . .,” said he.
The Malacañan mentioned that on Monday, January 06, 2020 the water provision issue was carefully considered during the cabinet meeting. It relayed the Chief Executive’s statement during the assembly, that water should not be exploited for income purposes while sacrificing the welfare of the citizenry. “The President stressed that water is a natural resource and, therefore, cannot be used merely as a commercial commodity and exploited to rake in billions of pesos and profits at the expense of the consumers, the Filipino people,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo informed.
The Department of Justice, in giving an update about the new agreement, said that it is still gathering information to draft the contract. There is not a definite date of the finalization of the same. The justice arm also manifested the high priority given to the document.
Senator Christopher Go likewise pitched in the issue. He suggested that the headache endured by the public should not be covered with earth and be forgotten through the new water concession contract.
The Maynilad guaranteed its cooperation with the state while stressing that it needs to secure a copy of the amended agreement.
