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[av_heading heading=’ Mayor hit for water district ‘meddling’ ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO City – Can Mayor Jose Espinosa III interfering in the operation of Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD)?
He has no authority to do that, said the water district’s legal counsel Roy Villa.
“What the law (Presidential Decree 198 or Provincial Water Utilities Act) gives to the appointing authority (of a water district’s board of directors), whether city mayor or provincial governor, is the power to appoint only,” he stressed.
A local chief executive or appointing authority that goes beyond naming appointees will be guilty of interference “and interference is serious administrative offense under the law,” said Villa.
Espinosa last week terminated the current set of MIWD Board of Directors and, insisting he should be the rightful appointing authority of the Board and not the provincial governor of Iloilo, would name new appointees.
The city mayor also ordered MIWD not to push through with its multibillion-peso joint venture agreement with a private water distribution company.
Villa said MIWD is autonomous.
“Wala labot ang appointing authority sa operation sang MIWD or local water district. The law is very explicit on that. The local water district is not under the influence, supervision and control of any political subdivision,” he stressed.
If Espinosa appoints his own MIWD Board, “that will already be aboveboard,” said Villa.
“Ginapasilabtan mo na ang water district nga waay gani ka-request sa imo nga ikaw ma-appoint,” he added.
Villa also said Presidential Decree 198 does not give the appointing authority – whether city mayor or provincial governor – the power to determine vacancy in a water district.
“Elementary rule: appointment only comes when there is vacancy. In other words, vacancy is a condition to make an appointment. But such power to determine vacancy lies with the agency, with MIWD itself,” he said.
“Kon mag-appoint si Mayor Espinosa sang iya MIWD Board, sin-o naghambal sa iya nga may vacancy?” said Villa.
Appointments of the current MIWD directors made by Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. were valid, he asserted.
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 will end in December 2018. Those of Robles and Cua-Locsin will expire in 2020 while those of Acanto and Salas, in 2022./PN
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