MANILA – “As citizen complaints continued to pile up against private concessionaire PrimeWater at the height of the dry season, I am calling for a Senate investigation into joint venture agreements between water districts and private companies, some of which were found by the Commission on Audit to be ‘disadvantageous.’”
Thus, Sen. Risa Hontiveros premised the filing of her resolution, PSR No. 1352 on May 5 directing the Senate committee on public services to conduct an inquiry into the COA findings on “issues and irregularities” in the joint venture agreements between local water districts and private entities “like PrimeWater PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp., Manila Water Philippine Ventures, and Metro Pacific Water Investments Corp.”
“No one is too big to be investigated. Kailangan nang silipin ang mga water concessionaires na ito dahil masyadong maraming kababayan natin ang uhaw na uhaw na sa maayos na serbisyo mula sa kanila lalo na ngayong tag-init,” said the senator in her Facebook page.
PrimeWater is owned by the family of Senators Cynthia and Mark Villar.
On April 30, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered an investigation on PrimeWater, following numerous complaints from consumers over its allegedly poor service.
“Ang kakulangan sa serbisyo ay walang puwang sa administrasyon ni Pangulong Marcos Jr.,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a Malacanang press briefing during the announcement of the presidential order.
The Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) also started an official investigation into PrimeWater following complaints of interrupted water supply delivery and high water charges.
The LWUA said it will investigate PrimeWater’s 73 joint venture agreements with local water districts nationwide
Earlier, Bulacan provincial officials called for the revocation of the joint venture agreements of various water districts in the province with PrimeWater amid mounting complaints over the lack of water supply in a number of municipalities. They have also appealed for the national government to intervene. Punto News Team/FB photograb
