Duterte accuses water firms of ‘economic plunder’
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Thu, 05 Dec 2019 13:13:38 +0000
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday renewed his tirades against Manila Water Company Inc. and Maynilad Water Services Inc., accusing the concessionaires of committing “economic plunder.”
During his visit to Legazpi, Albay, Duterte again slammed the concession agreements entered into by the government with the water firms, which he said, were tantamount to the country giving up its sovereignty over its water resources.
“Alam mo (You know) in that contract pag nabasa mo (if you read it), our country surrendered everything to Manila Waters and to Maynilad, everything, including the sovereignty… Kung malugi sila (If they lose) attributable to the government, what animal is that? It is not stated in the contract,” Duterte said.
“This is a classic case of economic plunder. Wala lang nakasilip dito (But no one was able to look into this). I can only assume money really talks,” he added.
Duterte made the statement as he reiterated that he has no plans of paying Ayala-led Manila Water the P7.39 billion the government owed based on a recent decision by an arbitration court.
“‘Pag dinemanda nila tayo – hindi ako magbayad ng P7 billion, letse ka. Pakainin ko ‘yung pera sa kanila (If they sue us – I won’t pay the P7 billion, you idiot. I’ll make them eat the money),” the President said.
To Ayala Corporation, Duterte said, “‘Wag mo ako bolahin, letse ka, don’t f–k with me. Linaro ‘nyo Pilipino sa pera (Don’t fool me, you idiot, don’t f–k with me. You are playing with the Filipinos’ money.)”
“Sabi ko (I said) I will pursue this if this is the only thing I can achieve in this administration. Birahin ko talaga, economic plunder,” he added.
A Singapore-based arbitration court had directed the government to pay billions of pesos to the two water companies for losses over disapproved rate adjustments.
Manila Water is a subsidiary of Ayala Corporation while businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan’s Metro Pacific Investments Corporation owns a controlling stake in Maynilad.
The two private companies distribute water in Metro Manila and other parts of the country under agreements signed with state regulator Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System during the Ramos administration in 1997. CATHERINE S. VALENTE