MANILA, Philippines?He just couldn?t say no to the President.

After initially saying that he was not interested, ex-congressman Prospero Pichay has accepted the post of acting chair of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA).

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita on Wednesday announced that Pichay had been appointed to the LWUA board and that there was a desire letter from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the board to elect Pichay as the acting chair.

Ermita first announced the appointment last week but Pichay, a close ally of the President who lost in the 2007 senatorial race, complained that he had not been informed that he was to be ?the official water boy of the republic? and had to talk to the President about it.

Ermita said Wednesday the appointment had been finalized and that Pichay would assume the post next week, replacing acting chair Proceso Domingo.

LWUA is a specialized state lending institution tasked to promote and oversee the development of provincial waterworks systems in the country.

Pichay, a former representative of Surigao del Sur, apparently met with Arroyo at a restaurant owned by a congressman at the Fort Strip, Taguig, on Tuesday night.

He had wanted to talk with her ?one-on-one? about the appointment, but Arroyo put him on the spot in front of 50 congressmen.

?This congressman has five towns which have no water system. That congressman has three towns with no potable water. Can you help them?? the President said.

A surprised Pichay said ?yes.?

?In front of 50 congressmen, how can you say no to the President? We love our President and we don?t want her to get embarrassed, so I surrendered to her wish,? he said in a phone interview on Wednesday.

?The President was happy when I accepted the job,? he said.

He said the President told him that she wanted a water system in every town and village and he accepted the challenge.

Pichay promised to provide potable water to the 1,400 towns in the country which do not yet have a water system.