Duterte: Negotiations with water concessionaires must be in public
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte is open to a compromise with the two major water distributors serving Metro Manila but wants the negotiations for the new concession deals to be made public.
Duterte is pushing for new contacts with water firms Manila Water and Maynilad, saying the existing concession deals are "onerous" and disadvantageous to consumers.
The president, in particular, assailed contract provisions that supposedly bar the government from stopping water rate hikes and permit water concessionaires to collect damages for losses that stem from regulatory actions.
Duterte has also accused water firms of passing on their corporate income tax to consumers and failing to provide water treatments.
READ: Manila's water shortage seen to persist amid blame game on supply woes
He has also vowed to run after government lawyers who drafted the 25-year deals, which were signed in 1997.
"Sabi ko, mag-areglo tayo (I said, we can compromise). Well, of course, I can. I can talk to you. But it must be in public," Duterte said during a gathering of local executives in Pasay last Tuesday.
Criminal charges
Duterte, however, clarified that the acceptance of new contracts won't necessarily spare the two water distributors from criminal charges.
"But then I cannot assure you that you will not be prosecuted for graft and corruption or plunder. It involves millions," the President said.
"I told them, 'Hey son of a b****, your document and the Anti-Graft Law are almost the same book.' All the violations that you can think of or all the violations that you would ever know is there," he added.
Duterte said his plan to file charges against the owners of Manila Water and Maynilad should satisfy critics who demanded that he run after the "big fish." He singled out former socioeconomic planning secretary and newspaper columnist Solita Monsod, whom he said was fond of criticizing him.
READ: Water firms urged to continue hunt for source as shortage looms
"Look at these writers, commentators...They are arrogant...You want the big fish? One day, I said, 'OK I will give you the biggest crocodiles,'" Duterte said.
"The commentators who are sons of b******. They are now silent. This Monsod used to complain and complain, 'Where’s the big fish? Where’s the big fish?'It's there. That animal. She can't say anything now. I suspect that she is also connected with the...Well, somehow," he added.
Duterte said the public should not let go of the issue involving water distributors.
"These sons of b****** are now silent. Congress is silent. Nobody asked for an investigation. So my appeal is if I do not reach the finish line for one reason or another, kindly do not forget this," he said.
READ: Activist groups sue Manila Water
Editor's Note: Manuel V. Pangilinan, the chairman of Maynilad, is also chief executive of PLDT. A unit under PLDT's media conglomerate has a majority stake in Philstar Global Corp., which runs Philstar.com. This article was independently produced following editorial guidelines.
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