Duterte to Maynilad, Manila Water: Pray nobody will be interested in new contracts

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday told Maynilad and Manila Water to “pray that nobody will be interested” in the new contracts being prepared by the government.

Speaking before newly appointed officials in Malacañang, Duterte urged the water concessionaires to accept the government’s offer even as the President said an acceptance will not guarantee that they will not be prosecuted over the current "onerous" contracts.

“Pray that nobody will be interested because if I decide to go after you, I will see to it that a billionaire goes to prison,” he said.

“I gave them the choice, not an ultimatum. We do not do that because we do not own government. At sinabi ko sa kanila, ‘sign the new contract because if you don’t, I will nationalize, take over the operations, and I will send you to jail.’ I have two years to do that and I can do it,” he added.

Duterte earlier lashed out at the business magnates behind the two water firms—Fernando Zobel de Ayala of Manila Water and Manuel V. Pangilinan of Maynilad—accusing them of corruption.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Wednesday he believes the water firms themselves will probably agree to the new contracts, considering these will be purged of allegedly disadvantageous terms.

He said these provisions include a prohibition on the government from interfering in rate-setting and a requirement to indemnify them in case of such an interference.

Guevarra said the new contracts will be presented to Maynilad and Manila Water in six months. — BM, GMA News