Duterte not yet over with ‘onerous’ water deals; to make announcement on Jan. 6

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte would not allow that nothing would happen with the “onerous” deal between the government and the two Metro Manila water concessionaires.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said this Thursday as he revealed that Duterte would make an announcement about the deals on January 6, 2020.

“Sabi niya (Duterte), hindi siya papayag na walang mangyayari sa kasong ito,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

(He said he won’t allow that nothing would happen with this case.)

Panelo, quoting Duterte, said “I still want to hear why they allowed this kind of treason against the interest of the Filipino people.”

“I think what he (Duterte) meant is he will not step out of the presidency without resolving this issue,” he added.

Duterte has earlier warned of government takeover on Pangilinan-led Maynilad and the Ayala-owned Manila Water after he slammed the 1997 “onerous” water concession deals between the two companies and the government.

He said Filipinos are “being milked by the billions” with the onerous deals.

Asked about the President’s announcement on January 6, Panelo said “I will not preempt the President, because when I asked permission to issue, sabi niya huwag muna (he said not now.)

“Let’s wait. He said he will make an important announcement on January 6,” he added.

Maynilad and Manila Water had said they would no longer collect P10.8 billion in compensation. A Singapore-based arbitration court ordered the Philippine government to pay for the losses suffered by the water firms due to the disallowed water rate increases from 2013 to 2017.

The 25-year water concession agreements were signed in 1997 during the Ramos administration and extended in 2009 through the Arroyo administration until 2037.

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) had canceled the deal extension and said the water concession agreements would end on 2022.