Duterte trains guns on Ayala, Pangilinan
Credit to Author: Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino, TMT| Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2019 16:18:56 +0000
After turning up the heat on ABS-CBN network, President Rodrigo Duterte trained his guns on the chairmen of Manila Water Co. Inc. and Maynilad Water Services Inc., saying they will be his administration’s “big fishes” who will be made accountable for duping thousands of customers.
He also threatened to throw them in jail.
“In two years I will be out. So itong two years na ito, gamitin ko ito talaga para sa tao.
‘Yang nagtatanong kayo, ‘Saan ‘yung big fish? Saan ‘yung mga corruption? Saan ‘yung malalaki?’ O i-deliver ko na sa inyo ngayon: si Ayala pati si Pangilinan (I will use my remaining two years serving the public. For those who will ask ‘Where’s the big fish? Where’s the corruption? Where are the big [offenders]? I deliver them now: Ayala and Pangilinan),” he said in a speech in M’lang, Cotabato.
The President was referring to Manila Water Chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala and Maynilad Chairman Manuel Pangilinan.
The two water concessionaires have been under attack because of the water shortage endured by their customers.
“‘Pag nagkamali ‘yang mga g***** ‘yan, ipakukulong ko talaga sila. Kita mo maski anong insulto ko hindi na sumasagot. Sigurado, swak sila. Syndicated estafa (If they make one false move, I will have them jailed. See, no matter what insult I throw at them, they remain quiet. There’s no question. They’re in for estafa),” Duterte said.
“Alam mo ginawa ng mga ulol? Water distributor lang itong mga buang na ito pero as it turned out, sila na ‘yung pinakamayaman at akala mo sila ‘yung may-ari ng tubig (You know what these fools did? They are just water distributors but now they’re the wealthiest.
And they act as if they own the water),” he added.
The President maintained that the contracts with the two water agencies violated the law.
“’Pag hawakan mo ‘yung Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices [Act]…’pag hinawakan mo ‘yan, tapos ‘yung kontrata nila, itandi mo, all the provisions of the Anti-Graft law can be found in the contract (If you look at the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and you scrutinize their contract, mark my word, all the provisions of the anti-graft law can be found in the contract),” he said.
Duterte stepped up his attacks against the two companies after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Singapore ordered the Philippine government to pay the Ayala-owned Manila Water and Pangilinan-led Maynilad a total of over P10 billion for their losses when they were not allowed to increase their rates.
“That is estafa or economic sabotage. Either way, no bail ‘yan. Nakita mo sila, tahimik talaga. Puro apology, apology, apology (Look at them, they are quiet. They’re all apologies). I can allow the novation of the contract. As a matter of fact, the Secretary of Justice has his proposal,” the President said.
Investopedia.com defines novation as the act of substituting a valid existing contract with a replacement contract, where all concerned parties mutually agree to make the switch.
“Buti nga makinig si Pangilinan pati si Ayala (Pangilinan and Ayala should listen). There is a violation of law. A crime has been committed,” he added.
The Chief Executive said the contracts with the two concessionaires were void from the start.
“I hope I’d not be forced to assume. Kasi sabi ko sa kanila, ayusin nila ito. ‘Pag magkaso-kaso sila, mag-file sila ng kaso, diretso na. Mag-file sila sa Supreme Court (I told them to fix this. If they file a case, they should go direct to the Supreme Court). I will declare a suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. And I will arrest all of them. I want billionaires inside the prison,” he said.
Both water concessionaires had manifested that they would no longer seek the payment of the awards granted to them by the arbitration court.
On Monday, the President pushed for the construction of the Kaliwa and Wawa dams to solve the water crisis hounding Metro Manila.
“This will be the last resort to have water for Manila,” Duterte said in a speech in Digos, Davao del Sur.
“I will order them to go ahead and we will pay the natives and we will relocate them,” he said.
The China-funded Kaliwa Dam project will be constructed in Rizal and Quezon provinces. It seeks to boost the water supply in Metro Manila.
Some groups have opposed the project, saying it would displaced indigenous groups in Rizal and Quezon. But the Department of Environment and Natural Resources had issued an Environmental Compliance Certificate for the project.