BY ARGYLL GEDUCOS
Despite their billions of pesos in assistance to the government’s COVID-19 response efforts, Malacañang said the MVP and Ayala business groups are not yet off the hook as their water concession contracts are still not amended.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque asserted this after President Duterte had forgiven the owners of Metro Manila’s two water concession firms due to their help in the fight against the pandemic.
Roque said that the MVP Group has given assistance worth P6.5 billion to the government apart from paying its taxes early while the Ayala Group has donated P9.5 billion.
“Hindi naman ibig sabihin na palibahasa tumulong sila to the tune of P6.5 billion and P9 billion off the hook na sila,” he said.
In his Thursday presser, Roque said President was thankful to the MVP and Ayala groups but said they are they are still bound to return the environmental fee they were supposedly collecting from their consumers even though they have no water treatment facility.
“Sabi pa rin ng Presidente kailangan amyendahan ang water concession agreement. Kinakailangan ibalik yung dapat ibalik sa taumbayan ,” he said. “Ang nawala lang is yung talagang determinasyon niya na ikulong sila dahil kumulekta sila ng pera, environmental fee, nang wala namang water treatment facility.
“Miski galit na galit siya noong una dito ay galante naman magbigay,” he said.
In December last year, President Duterte threatened to takeover Maynilad and Manila Water for their alleged onerous contracts with the government that put the public at a disadvantage.
He, however, offered them a new deal but warned them that he will pursue filing charges of economic plunder, economic sabotage, and syndicated estafa if they would reject it.
It was not until on June 5 this year that President Duterte said he was willing to let the issue be under the bridge as long as the owners of the two water concession companies will just return the money, even gradually, that they wrongfully collected from their consumers. (Argyll Geducos)
