‘LOUSY SERVICE’

ILOILO City – Officials of Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) are drawing fat salaries but the water district’s service remains wanting, so who’s being abusive now, said Mayor Jose Espinosa III. The city’s chief executive belittled MIWDs’ criminal and administrative complaints against him at the Office of the Ombudsman.

“What abuse of authority are they talking about? Look who’s talking,” said Espinosa in reaction to the charges that included grave abuse of authority, gross negligence, gross misconduct, usurpation of official functions, and graft and corruption.

According to the mayor, MIWD could hardly supply the whole city with potable water.

“You’re earning big but you can supply water to only 21 percent of the city? That is unacceptable,” said Espinosa.

Citing the gravity of the situation, Espinosa said he would call President Rodrigo Duterte’s attention to MIWD’s poor service when the country’s mayors meet in Metro Manila on July 26 and 27.

“MIWD better improve its service. Sige lang monthly (salary) sang iban dason serbisyo ninyo amo gihapon,” lamented Espinosa.

MIWD hauled the mayor to the Ombudsman for appointing a new set of directors to the water district’s board.

“We the consumers who buy water from you are your bosses. Serve us well,” said Espinosa.

According to the mayor, he was embarrassed to give a candid answer to prospective investors asking about the water supply in Iloilo City.

“I would usually tell them a multibillion-peso mega dam project would soon commence and this would further ensure a steady supply of water to the city. I don’t say right away our water supply is unreliable,” said Espinosa.

Even city hall itself is not exempt from MIWD’s inefficiency, the mayor lamented.

“(The) city hall nagapadul-ong sang tubig (from private water distributors). Wala kita katilaw sang tubig (from MIWD) kay ang ila serbisyo inefficient gid,” said Espinosa.

He accused MIWD of being out of touch with consumers.

Last month, Espinosa appointed the following to MIWD’s Board of Directors: Felicito Tiu representing sectoral organizations (business, commercial or financial organization), Rebecca Maravilla (women’s sector), Dr. Ray Celis (civic-oriented service clubs), Antonio Sangrador (sectoral organizations / professional associations), and Ronald Raymund Sebastian (educational institutions).

MIWD questioned the appointments. It said there was no vacancy yet in the board.

The current MIWD directors who each have a term of six years are Dr. Teodoro Robles (chairman), Atty. Juanito Acanto, Dr. Jessica Salas, Ramon Cua-Locsin, and Atty. Josephine Abad-Caram.

Abad-Caram’s term would end in December 2018. Those of Robles and Cua-Locsin would expire in 2020 while those of Acanto and Salas, in 2022.

These directors were appointed by Iloilo’s Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr.

According to MIWD general manager Imelda Magsuci, each director receives a P12,000 per diem or for each meeting.

The directors regularly meet twice a month, said Magsuci.

There are no per diems for meetings beyond the two regular ones in a months, she clarified.

The general manager also said the P12,000 per diem is actually small compared to what directors in other water districts receive.

In making new appointments to the MIWD board, Espinosa cited the Supreme Court decision in a Cebu water district case invalidating Section 3 (b) of Presidential Decree 198 (Provincial Water Utilities Act of 1973) for being unconstitutional.

Under Section 3 (b), if less than 75 percent of the total water concessionaires are found in the city, the appointing authority shall be the governor.

City Administrator Hernando Galvez said, “Automatic na pag nag-decide ang Supreme Court, it becomes part of the law of the land,” thus Espinosa’s move had legal basis./PN