Firm insists on operating water system in Tuburan

CEBU, Philippines —  The private company operating the water supply in Tuburan town allegedly did not heed the call of the consumers to turn over the facility to the local government unit (LGU).

Instead, SAVS Tuburan Water Corp. president Arlene Villaroel issued a final demand to cease and desist from performance of any act of interference and/or obstruction in the operation and management of the company against the municipal government.

The demand letter dated July 3, 2020 was sent to Mayor Danilo Diamante and all members of the municipal council, the municipal treasurer and 42 barangay captains.

Villaroel has clarified that the joint venture dated December 1, 2016 and concession agreement dated April 25, 2017 entered into by the company and the municipality of Tuburan has not been declared null and void and remains to this day valid and effective.

“For this purpose, the municipal mayor, the members of the Sangguniang Bayan, the punong barangays and especially the municipal treasurer are strictly enjoined from performing any act which will interfere and obstruct in the operations and management of the company and disrupt the latter from providing clean and usable water to its approximately 2,570 consumers in the service area of the company,” read Villaroel’s letter.

A month ago, some consumers held a rally in front of SAVS Tuburan Water Corp. building calling for the return of their water system to the LGU due to “poor” performance for the past three years.

The rally was in support to the move of the LGU in filing a petition before the Regional Trial Court in Toledo City for the recession of the contract between the SAVS Tuburan Water Corp.

Diamante said the case was filed in court on March 3, 2020 but was overtaken by the community quarantine due to coronavirus pandemic.

It was during the time of the mayor’s brother, now Vice Mayor Democrito Diamante, when a Joint Venture Agreement was entered into between the LGU of Tuburan and SAVS Tuburan Water Corp. for the upgrade and modernization of the town’s water supply.

“However, within the two-year period of operation by the defendant, the water service of the Tuburan has become very poor and the improvement that was promised was never materialized. The pipes were still rusty and were never replaced; worse, there was shortage of water supply instead,” read the complaint pending before the RTC.

Aside from poor service, sometime in 2017, the water was also reportedly positive of fecal coliform organism based on water analysis conducted by the Provincial Laboratory of the Provincial Health Office.  Banat News Copy Editor/KQD (FREEMAN)