Malacañang on Wednesday (April 6) defended the construction of the Kaliwa Dam following a statement of Senator Kiko Pangilinan that it should not “brush aside laws” and the rights of communities affected.
In a Palace briefing, Acting Presidential Spokesperson Martin Andanar said the Kaliwa Dam is seen to provide solutions to the prevailing water supply and allocation problems in the National Capital Region (NCR).
“Inaasahan na 600 million na litro ng tubig ang maidi-deliver sa National Capital Region at kalapit na mga probinsiya dahil sa Kaliwa Dam,” he said.
“The Duterte administration prioritizes national interest and the gains of the Filipino people from this infrastructure. We assure that the Kaliwa Dam project undergoes due process noting that all stakeholders including the Indigenous People and the concerned local government units are involved in the negotiations,” he added.
The official said the government assures that only the people will benefit from the project.
In a new release on Monday, Pangilinan questioned the memorandum of agreement signing of the P12.2-billion Chinese-funded project despite opposition from a tribe located in the project site. AG-gb
