President Duterte is not at all bothered if he becomes a “pariah” in the international community following his decision to reject the P7.3-billion arbitral award to Manila Water by a court in Singapore.
The President declared he would not reimburse the water firm for its supposed losses, insisting that the concession agreement had onerous provisions in the first place. He wanted there will be a “time for reckoning” for the persons behind the alleged lopsided water contracts with Manila Water and Maynilad Services Inc. amid plans to sue them for economic plunder.
“Medyo nalugi sila bayad tayo three billion. Ngayon na naman sa panahon ko may seven billion. Sabi ko, p***** i** ninyo. F*** you. Sabi na ano, we will face the – para…Alam mo kasi, maging pariah ka sa international,” he said during his visit to Legazpi City Thursday. “Yayariin ko sila. ‘Pag dinemanda nila tayo – hindi ako magbayad ng P7 billion, letse ka. Pakainin ko ‘yung pera sa kanila,” he said.
The President has unleashed an expletive-laced rebuke of the alleged irregular water distribution contracts with Manila Water and Maynilad Services Inc., saying it unfairly prohibited government from interfering in setting water rates and allowed indemnity from the government for losses in case of such interference. He lamented that the country has bargained away its “sovereignty” over water resources in the controversial deals.
The presidential outrage came after an arbitration court in Singapore recently directed the government to pay Manila Water P7.4 billion for the non-implementation of water rate increases. In 2017, the court also ordered the payment of P3.4 billion to Maynilad for its alleged foregone revenues.
In his remarks Thursday, Duterte said he would hold accountable the people behind the controversial concession agreements. He said he wanted to see billionaires land in jail, citing plunder is a non-bailable offense. He said the lawyers who drafted the contracts knew that the provisions were “all in violation of law.”
“The Bible says, there is a time to be comfortable with what you have – stolen money. There is a time to wallow in filth, in riches. But there is always a time for reckoning. To explain to the people how it came about,” he said. “Talagang yayariin ko sila dito. And you know, the lawyers, they knew that when they were drafting the contract it was actually – lahat ng provision at that time and until now. At that time and now, present, they knew that it was all in a violation of law,” he added.
He also slammed the water utilities for passing corporate income tax on consumers. He also claimed that they demanded water treatment fees from customers but did not supposedly spend on such facilities.
“Sabihin ni Ayala, ‘Wala.’ Huwag mo akong bolahin l**** ka, pati kayo. Don’t f*** with me. I know you. Nilaro ninyo ‘yung Pilipino sa pera,” he said. (Genalyn Kabiling)