By Filane Mikee Cervantes | Philippine News Agency
The Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) has officially launched an investigation into Villar-owned PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. following mounting complaints over poor service, Malacañang confirmed on Friday.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the investigation, ordered by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., will look into the water utility firm’s 73 joint venture agreements with local water districts across the country.
“Nag-i-start na po ngayong araw na ito,” Castro told reporters in a Palace briefing.
She said complaints have long piled up from PrimeWater customers in provinces such as Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Bohol, and Pangasinan, where many residents have reported water supply issues and high service charges.
“Unang-una po, umiiyak po ang Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Bohol, Pangasinan. Hindi lamang po iyan. Marami pa pong iba,” Castro said.
Castro stressed the investigation is not politically driven, countering Vice President Sara Duterte’s remarks accusing the current administration of using the issue against her for endorsing senatorial candidate Camille Villar.
Villar is the daughter of Sen. Cynthia Villar and former Senate president Manny Villar, whose family owns PrimeWater.
“We cannot expect anything nice or any nice word from the Vice President in favor of the President and of the present administration. She will always use that excuse or defense of that pamumulitika without really answering or responding directly to the issues,” Castro said.
The Palace official noted that the unresolved issues involving PrimeWater date back to the administration of Sara Duterte’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte when the company rapidly expanded.
“Namayagpag naman po ang PrimeWater noong taong 2018 sa panahon po ni dating Pangulong Duterte,” Castro said.
“Tandaan po natin: marami na po na mga kababayan natin ang customers po ng PrimeWater na siyang umiiyak. Hindi po ito bago kaya po nakakapagtaka kung bakit hindi ito nasolusyunan sa nakaraang administrasyon,” she added.
Castro reiterated that the government is fulfilling its duty to the public.
“Kailangan pong trabahuhin, obligasyon po ng gobyerno at ng Pangulo na tugunan ang lahat ng hinaing ng taumbayan,” she said.
Castro also urged the Vice President to engage in more constructive discourse.
“Sana po ay i-level up po natin, rason sa rason, datos sa datos. Huwag gamitan ng masasamang salita o pagmumura,” she said.
Castro also hit back at Duterte’s continued use of “politicking” to deflect issues raised against her, including the Commission on Audit’s (COA) findings of billions of pesos in unsettled financial transactions at the Department of Education during her tenure as secretary.
“Ngayon po may isyu pa rin po tungkol sa P12.3 billion na COA findings patungkol po sa DepEd unsettled financial transactions…sa pamumuno po ni VP Sara. ’Yan pa rin po ba ang sasabihin niyang pamumulitika?” Castro said.
COA’s 2023 audit report flagged DepEd’s alleged failure to resolve notices of suspension, disallowance, and charge, which grew from P11.4 billion in 2022 to P12.3 billion by the end of Duterte’s tenure as education secretary in June last year.
Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives in February. The Senate, convening as an impeachment court, is expected to begin trial in July.
