Give Manila 2 months to settle bills, Isko asks

MANILA, Philippines — Mayor Isko Moreno yesterday asked utility firms to give Manila two months to pay over P113 million in unpaid bills, after the city hall and other local government-run facilities, including schools and hospitals, were given disconnection notices.

Moreno said the unpaid bills totaled P113,596,710.54.

He appealed for understanding during a dialogue with representatives from eight utility companies – Meralco, Maynilad, Manila Water, PLDT, Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, Converge ICT and Cignal TV – at the city hall on July 3.

Moreno asked the firms to give Manila “a two-month reprieve to allow the city to resolve its fiscal issues and catch up on unpaid bills.”

“We do not have the money. This is not about blame. This is a reality check of financial mismanagement, grave financial mismanagement,” Moreno said as he assured the utility firms that the city would fix its finances.

Aside from the unpaid bills, Moreno said the city government was also caught off guard by P300 million worth of payables to the Bureau of Internal Revenue.