Poe will recommend firing of negligent water officials

The water shortage in some parts of Metro Manila and Rizal province provided a deep well of opportunity for enterprising minds, like the seller of these plastic containers on Bautista Street in Manila. (Photo by MARIANNE BERMUDEZ / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Grace Poe on Sunday said she would recommend sacking or firing officials of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) if they could be proven to have been negligent of their duties.

“Kung mayroong nagkasala, kailangan matunton kung sino man ‘yon na nagpabaya sa trabaho nila. Kung isang pribadong kumpanya naman, siguro ang Manila Water mismo ang magpalit sa kanilang mga namamahala,” Poe said in a statement on Sunday.

[If someone did something wrong, we need to find out who had been negligent. In the case of a private company, maybe Manila Water should change its managers.]

Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services, will hold an inquiry on Tuesday into the prolonged water supply shortage that has gripped parts of Metro Manila and Rizal.

READ: Poe: Manila Water has a lot of explaining to do

“Maraming haka-haka, pero gusto nating malinawan kung ano ang naging dahilan. Ito ang pinaka-importante: Ano ang solusyon nila o kailan ba magkakaroon ng relief? Kailan ba talaga magkakaroon ng supply ng tubig?” she said.

[There have been many conjectures, but we want a clarification on the reason. This is the most important: What’s their solution or when can we have relief. When are we really going to have a supply of water?]

READ: Manila Water sees shortage easing in April

Poe added that the MWSS and the east zone concessionaire Manila Water should stop pointing fingers at each other and instead offer solutions to address the water problem.

The water supply interruption, Poe noted, has been a more than a week-long struggle for residents of affected areas.

Poe added that MWSS had attributed the water shortage to the increasing demand of Manila Water consumers and the latter’s failure to finish its Cardona treatment plant, which would have helped in addressing the shortage.

Meanwhile, Manila Water had earlier pointed to the dropping water elevation of La Mesa Dam, which breached its critical level and hit its lowest mark in 21 years last week.

READ: La Mesa Dam breaches critical mark, hits 21-year low

Following are the people expected to attend the Senate inquiry:

• Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo
• Administrator Vicente Malano of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
• Manila Water president and CEO Ferdinand de la Cruz
• Manila Water chief operating officer Geodino Carpio
• Maynilad chief operating officer Randy Estrellado;
• MWSS regulatory office head Patrick Ty
• MWSS administrator Reynaldo Velasco
• National Water Resources Board executive director Sevillo David Jr.
• Barangay Chairman Carlito Cernal of Addition Hills in Mandaluyong
• Christopher Ilagan of the American Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• former director Glenn Tabios of the University of the Philippines’ National Hydraulic Research Center
• division superintendent Dominico Idanan of Department of Education-Pasig
• department manager Joseph Michael Jaro of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute
• Rizal Medical Center chief Relito Saquilayan
• former Trade Undersecretary Victorio Dimagiba of Laban Konsyumer group
• former MWSS Chairman Ramon Alikpala of the Joint Foreign Chambers
• some residents of affected areas in Metro Manila

/atm