Some of the 200 protesters demanding reforms at the LMWD. JOEY GABIETA
TACLOBAN CITY — A group of city village officials and another composed of water suppliers called on members of the board of directors of the Leyte Metropolitan Water District (LMWD) to step down and let Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez appoint LMWD board members.
The call was made in light of a Supreme Court ruling that the mayor of an independent, chartered city had the authority to appoint local water district board members if residents of that city were the majority customers of the water district.
Romualdez had written to President Rodrigo Duterte on May 18 asking him to intervene and allow the city government to appoint LMWD board members.
Appointing power
The provincial government currently appoints all five members of the board, which, in turn, appoints the general manager of the LMWD.
At least 200 concessionaires of the LMWD rallied in front of the utility’s office here on Friday to oppose the planned privatization of the water district and also demand that management of the LMWD be turned over to the city government.
The protesters cited the high court ruling on a case between the city and provincial governments of Cebu which ruled in favor of the city on the question of appointing a member of the board of the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD).
Noel Tabao, head of the Tacloban Union of Barangay Officials, said the high court ruling on Aug. 8 upheld a previous ruling that said “the mayor of the city of Cebu is the appointing authority” in the MCWD.
Cebu case
The ruling was made on a case filed by then Cebu governor, now Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia questioning the appointment on Feb. 22, 2008, by then Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña of a certain Joel Mari Yu to the MCWD board.
Tabao said the high court decision “is very clear.”