MANILA, Philippines — If government decides to cancel the concession agreements of the Manila Water Co. and Maynilad Water Services Inc., it should not give the concession of Metro Manila’s water distribution to another oligarch.
This is the call of Makabayan bloc lawmakers on Thursday, days after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to sue the water firms for economic sabotage over their alleged “onerous” concession agreements with the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).
He also ordered Solicitor General Jose Calida and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III to come up with a new water concession contract that is favorable to the public and the government.
“Ang ating demand, i-nationalize ang serbisyo sa tubig at dapat hindi rin tayo sang-ayon na from oligarch to another oligarch,” Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Ferdinand Gaite said in a press conference. “[K]asi lumalabas, kinakastigo ni Pangulong Duterte ‘yung current na oligarchs, ‘yung Ayala, Consunji, Pangilinan… only to favor [another oligarch]. Mayroon na kaming balita na sinasabi na ‘okay lang basta’t ibang oligarch’.
(What we demand is, we should nationalize the water service and we should not agree that from oligarch to another oligarch because it seems that President Duterte is castigating the current oligarchs, the Ayalas, Consunjis, Pangilinan… only to favor [another oligarch]. We have reports saying that ‘it’s okay so long as it’s a different oligarch’.)
“Eh hindi ata ‘yun ang solusyon kasi, of course, the Villars also control so many other water districts outside of Metro Manila. Ito ‘yung Prime Water at very aggressive sila sa privatization ng mga water districts dito sa Bulacan, sa Pampanga, sa Visayas at sa iba pang provinces,” he added. “Kaya ngayon, aalis siya sa arms ng isang oligarch only to fall in the arms of a new oligarch. Hindi ‘yan ang in-eenvision natin.”
(But that is not a solution because, of course, the Villars also control so many other water districts outside of Metro Manila. This is the Prime Water and they are very aggressive in privatizing water districts in Bulacan, Pampanga, Visayas, and other provinces. So now, the water concession will be removed from the arms of an oligarch only to fall in the arms of a new oligarch. That’s not the solution we’re envisioning.)
Manila Water and Maynilad distribute water in Metro Manila and parts of Cavite and Rizal provinces under agreements signed with the MWSS in 1997 during the Ramos administration following what was then called “the world’s largest water privatization.”
The Makabayan bloc said the MWSS should no longer be privatized and that the management of water services be returned to the government.
“Kaya dapat talagang itigil na itong privatization ng MWSS, ibalik sa control ng mamamayan ng estado ang serbisyong ito at bigyan ng prayoridad ng pamahalaan ang pagpapatupad ng serbisyo ng tubig,” Gaite said.
(The privatization of MWSS should be stopped and the control should be yielded to the state and its citizens. The government should also prioritize giving quality water service to the public.)
The lawmakers have filed a resolution, House Resolution No. 571, seeking a probe on the alleged onerous concession agreements of the water firms.
“Kaya ang Makabayan ay nanawagan ng daliang mareview itong mga concession agreements na ito. Long overdue na yan,” Kabataan party-list Rep. Sarah Elago said.
“Tama lang na busisiin na ang nilalaman niyan, at nawa’y magbunsod ‘yan hindi sa pagpapalit lang kung sino ang may control sa water concession kundi talagang unahin natin yung interes ng publiko,” she added.