As Daluz insists on protocols: LWUA wants access to docs

CEBU, Philippines — The Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) interim board has served another notice to the board of the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) to comply with an earlier agreement in giving the former access to necessary documents.

In a text message to The Freeman, Ronnie Ong, LWUA chairman and interim chairman of MCWD, said they have already started partial intervention, which includes the investigation of issues surrounding the MCWD.

According to Ong, they have sent a notice to the MCWD board last March 21, 2024, to turn over documents, especially on finances and procurement, which they would need for their investigation.

“But today, we will send another letter reiterating our demand and we will put a timeline as well,” his message read.

The LWUA interim board stressed that the second notice is in line with the March 21, 2024 meeting between both parties wherein the MCWD board agreed that the interim board of LWUA would be given access to documents.

The second notice was expected to be received by the MCWD board within the day yesterday as the interim board had yet to be given access to the documents as of this writing.

MCWD chairman Attorney Joey Daluz III, however, said that the protocol they agreed with the LWUA is for the latter to write a letter requesting and enumerating the specific documents they needed.

“It's barely a week assuming they made such request last week...are they implying something? They should have been circumspect in their observation,” said Daluz.

Daluz added that the second notice is “actually the first” saying there was no first written notice in writing.

“Remember they attempted to take over... but the MCWD declared a status quo and did not recognize them. I did not receive any notice but such is addressed to the managers of MCWD and not me,” said Daluz.

Daluz stressed that the MCWD board will not refuse to hand them the documents if the LWUA interim board will just follow the protocol.

“Now that there is an issue between LWUA and MCWD, then all must be documented,” he said.

Last March 21, LWUA insisted on their partial takeover of the policy-making body of MCWD while the current MCWD board refused to heed the order to step aside.

The LWUA Board of Trustees has earlier released Resolution 35, which sets aside the current board of MCWD pending the investigation that commenced on the issues surrounding the water district.

Among the factors that the LWUA interim board cited that motivated their intervention is a “breach” of the “obligations, promises and convenance” under the Financial Assistance Contract. Aside from these, there were findings by the Commission on Audit (COA) on procurement that needs to be investigated.

Further, the LWUA noted that they were also alarmed over the 70 percent looming increase in water rates that Daluz and his group requested from LWUA which responsibility to pay will be transferred to the consumers. — (FREEMAN)