Senator Ping Lacson couldn’t stop himself from praising President Rodrigo Duterte after Manila Water and Maynilad stated that they would no longer collect P11-B compensation from the government.
In a Twitter post, Lacson said that the decision of the two water concessionaires is a great thing that only President Duterte can do.
“One of the great things only President Duterte is capable of doing all by himself,” Lacson said.
One of the great things only President Duterte is capable of doing all by himself —
Manila Water, Maynilad will no longer collect P11-B compensation from gov’t https://t.co/to0PySV5nx
— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) December 10, 2019
According to some reports, the two water concessionaires will no longer bring up the arbitral ruling asking the government to pay them a total of P11-B for not following the contract which President Duterte labeled as “onerous”.
“Opo sir, susunod po kami sa kagustuhan ng gobyerno, at ng Pangulo,” Manila Water President and Chief Executive Officer Jose Rene Almendras told lawmakers during a hearing of the House of Representatives on the contracts between the said water companies and government.
Maynila President and CEO Ramoncito Fernandez also said that they already stopped demanding the government a long time ago.
“Na-award po ang arbitral award sa Maynilad nung 2017 pa po. After we have followed up the government, nung hindi ho kami binibigyan ng pansin, hindi na ho kami nagpursigi,” Fernandez said.
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System said that they already canceled the extension contracts of Maynilad and Manila Water.
It means that instead of 2037, the contracts of the two water concessionaires with MSS will end in 2022.