Dry spell in MPD to end soon, says Espina

The dry spell that hit the Manila Police District (MPD) may soon be over.

The chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Sunday said the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP) would release funds within the week to settle the MPD’s unpaid water bills to Maynilad totaling some P8 million.

“We are hoping that the water services of the MPD will be restored in the coming days as the funds needed to pay the arrears will be available this week,” NCRPO chief Director Leonardo Espina told the Philippine Daily Inquirer over the phone.

Maynilad cut off the water supply to the MPD two weeks ago after the police district failed to settle its debt to the water concessionaire.

Espina clarified that the unpaid amount dates back to 1999 as he stressed that the MPD had settled its more recent water bills.

According to him, the debt ballooned over the years because of the interest slapped on the primary amount.

Espina said the PNP headquarters had also approved the release of P2.1 million for the much-needed rehabilitation of the MPD water system.

He surmised that the increase in the police district’s water consumption might be caused by leaks in its pipelines.

“The MPD building was built several years ago. Because of wear and tear, corrosion, and aging pipes, there could be leaks,” he said.

Espina stressed that the NCRPO had been trying to bring down the consumption of basic utilities, such as electricity and water, in all police stations in Metro Manila.

According to him, PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima had ordered the payment of the MPD’s water bills when he was the NCRPO chief in 2011.

“He also wanted to determine the real water consumption of the MPD so that the station would no longer burden itself with paying millions of pesos in water bills,” Espina said.

“When [Purisima] was the NCRPO chief, the MPD was able to settle about P4 million of its debt to Maynilad. The PNP chief asked me to take care of this matter, and I intend to continue what he started,” he added.