Buhay party-list Representative and former Manila City Mayor Lito Atienza expressed his support to President Rodrigo Duterte in his fight against the water companies involved in the “onerous” contract with the government.
In a privilege speech on December 2, Atienza admitted that he’s not a believer of Duterte, however, when the President revealed the alleged disadvantageous contracts, he expressed his regret and now supporting the President.
“We stand today in support of the President, ako man ay nagkulang sa umpisa na hindi ko na pinaniniwalaan ang lahat ng sinasabi ng Pangulo,” Atienza said.
“Sa araw na ito, nakayuko po ang inyong lingkod, sumasaludo ng dalawang kamay kay Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa kanyang katapatan sa ating bandila at sa kanyang mga mamamayan,” he added.
Atienza said that the two water concessionaires, Manila Water and Maynilad Water Services Inc. to “produce all the records” to prove that they’re really losing their profits.
However, Atienza believes that the two water companies are only lying that they’re losing profits because he claimed that the said concessionaires are earning hundreds of billions of pesos according to a document he got from the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).
“I challenge the Speaker of the House (Alan Peter Cayetano) to take action in this matter, you lead, we will follow,” Atienza said.
“We cannot stay quiet, we need to act on this concession agreement, ito ba ay serbisyo o perwisyo? ito po ba ay nakakatulong o ginagawa tayong lahat na parang mga timawa at pulubi?” he added.
Atienza also claimed that when the two companies handled the distribution, the people couldn’t drink the water anymore.
He then called the actions of Maynilad and Manila Water as “money-making ventures”.
“Utilities should never be privatized anymore,” he said.
“Kailangan tubig, kuryente ay galing sa pamahalaan,” he added.
Atienza insisted that under the Duterte administration is the right time to free the people from the chains of the big companies.
“Ito na ang pagkakataon, not in the next administration, but this administration, because we have a leader who has a courage, mayroon siyang tunay na pagkalalake at yan ang ating hinahangaan,” he said.
A few days ago President Duterte criticized the two big water companies for allegedly taking advantage of the contract they signed in 1997 with the government.
He revealed that the contract required the government of the Philippines to pay the said two companies if they fail to realize their profit or if the administration tries to interfere with the water prices.
Duterte said that he’s planning to make a new contract that would be fair for the Filipino people or else the water companies might face charges for economic sabotage.