ILOILO City – Will Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) sue the city government anew for issuing a water distribution franchise to yet another water distributor?
According to MIWD legal counsel Roy Villa, the water district’s action would be made known after the May 13 midterm elections.
Just this March 26 the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) approved the franchise application jointly submitted by Manila Water Philippines Ventures, Inc. (Manila Water) and Tubig Pilipinas Group (TPG), Inc. “to construct, establish, commission, operate, and maintain a water supply system for this southern city.”
The franchise given was for 25 years.
The SP members who voted in favor of issuing the franchise were running in the May 13 polls.
“We may not see their faces anymore in the city government of Iloilo after the election,” said Villa, thus they would wait for the results of the election before taking legal action.
The SP previously granted water distribution franchises to Prime Water (2018) and South Balibago Resources Inc. (2016), prompting the MIWD to sue.
Villa said the case against Balibago’s franchise is up for court decision already. MIWD questioned the legal basis of the SP in issuing the franchise.
On the other hand, the case regarding Prime Water’s franchise is with the Ombudsman awaiting resolution. It is a complaint against Mayor Jose Espinosa III and eight SP members – Joshua Alim, Lyndon Acap, R Leone Gerochi, Mandrie Malabor, Plaridel Nava, Eduardo Peñaredondo, Liezl Joy Zulueta-Salazar, and Candice Magdalene Tupas – for usurpation of official function, graft and corruption, culpable violation of the Constitution, grave abuse of authority, gross negligence, grave misconduct, and acts contrary to law.
“I think the case will be resolved soon by the Ombudsman. The respondents already submitted their respective counter-affidavits,” said Villa.
MIWD asserts that local governments do not have the power under the law to issue water distribution franchises. Such authority, it says, belongs solely to the National Water Resources Board.
“We believe we are granted by the law (Local Government Code) the power to grant a water distribution franchise,” said Councilor Plaridel Nava, chairperson of the SP committee on public utilities./PN
