Duterte warns courts vs. issuing TROs against Wawa, Kaliwa dams

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday warned courts against issuing temporary restraining orders that would delay the construction of the Wawa and Kaliwa dams.

Duterte promised that the people who would be affected by the projects would be compensated and relocated.

He said the dams were "the last resort" for Metro Manila to have adequate water supply.

“For the courts to issue itong mga TRO, sabi ko nga do not make it to the point na sabihin kong ignore them," Duterte said at the founding anniversary of Cor Jesu College in Digos City, Davao del Sur.

"‘Wag kayong maniwala d’yan sa korte. After all, pera pera din yan,” he added.

Duterte said losing bidders used TROs to get back at winning contractors.

“I’m warning the judges that be sparing in issuing TRO otherwise I will publicly  announce that 'Do not follow. You follow the program of government'," Duterte said.

"‘Yung TRO is just ‘yan ang ginagamit pera pera d’yan,” he added.

Residents and indigenous people have expressed fear that the China-funded project Kaliwa Dam in Quezon Province  would submerge their ancestral lands.

“I can give you a little bit of elbow room to move. Itong mga nakatira doon, of course they are all native,  they are trying to delay the project by…and we need water," Duterte said.

"I will order them to go ahead and we will pay the natives and we will relocate them,” he added.

He said not all judges could be bought, "Pero ‘pag binigyan mo ng pera ang buang na ‘yan mag issue talaga ng TRO ‘yan."

"You delay projects and that is why we are caught in a bind whether we would be able to deliver water in the coming years,” Duterte said.

The President said he would confront judges who would issue a TRO.

“Money-money lang ‘yan otherwise I will go to him tapos sabihin ko basahin mo ‘yang TRO mo… If hindi pakain ko 'yang TRO mo," Duterte said.

"We have to do something about this. Kaya sinabi ko  huminto kayo otherwise pupuntahan ko kayo sa opisina n’yo at mag usap tayo.  Siguraduhin mo lang, kainin mo talaga ‘yang papel,” he aded. —NB, GMA News