PRESIDENT Duterte has threatened anew to go as far as taking over the operations of water concessionaires aside from filing cases if he is not contented with the answers of water concessionaires on the alleged onerous deals.
The President’s remark comes as the two private water concessionaires—Manila Water and Maynilad Water Services Inc.— announced at a hearing in Congress on Tuesday that they would no longer demand compensation amounting to a combined P10.8 billion from the government. The companies separately won awards from an arbitral tribunal in Singapore, where they sued the Philippine government over losses incurred from its refusal to approve tariff hikes in the past.
The cases involve past administrations, and Duterte said he would not pay the awards.
This development happened just a day after the President publicly said he wants to meet with officials from the water concessionaires, as well as the government lawyers who were involved in crafting the deals.
“Ayaw ninyong pumunta dito? Gusto ko magharap silang lahat dito sa akin. Isa-isahin ko sila, ang abugado ng p*t*ng*n* gumawa ng kontrata. Sino yung mga opisyal ng MWSS? Tanungin ko sila, what the f*ck did you do and screwed the country? [You don’t want to come here? I want them all to face me. I will ask them one-by-one, including the lawyer who did the contract. Who are the officials of MWSS? I will ask them, what the f*ck did you do and screwed the country?],” Duterte said on Tuesday in a speech during a mass oath taking in Malacañang, referring to water regulator Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.
“Ngayon, pag hindi ako ma-satisfy, I will expropriate everything, kunin ko lahat. Magdemanda ka ng magdemanda. Tutal, dalawang taon lang naman wala na ako [Now, if I will not be satisfied, I will expropriate everything. File and file cases. After all, I have only two years left to serve],” he added. Manila Water is a publicly listed company and a subsidiary of Ayala Corp., while businessman Manny Pangilinan’s Pacific Investments Corp. owns a controlling stake in Maynilad.
Image credits: AP/Bullit Marquez
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