Gov’t ironing out details of new deal with Manila Water —Guevarra

The government is moving towards signing a new concession agreement with Manila Water, according to Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra.

Guevarra said the water concession review panel would meet on Wednesday to iron out “minor points” in the proposed agreement.

“And after that, we shall be ready to sign a new water concession agreement with Manila Water and after that we will proceed to the discussions with the other concessionaire, Maynilad,” he told reporters.

The 1997 concession agreements went through scrutiny after Manila Water and Maynilad won in separate multi-billion peso arbitration cases abroad, infuriating President Rodrigo Duterte.

He protested a clause in the concession agreements that holds the government liable if it interferes with the implementation of water rates and accountable to indemnify the companies for losses incurred.

The two water companies decided not to demand payment amid Duterte’s tirades against them. He also threatened to arrest the owners of the water firms for alleged economic sabotage.

Guevarra earlier said the proposed revised contracts would remove the “onerous” terms “without making the concession less economically viable.”

Manila Water provides water and wastewater services to the eastern part of Metro Manila, particularly the cities of Mandaluyong, San Juan, Pasig, Marikina, Taguig, the municipality of Pateros, and portions of Makati, Manila and Quezon City, as well as the province of Rizal.

Maynilad, meanwhile, currently serves customers in the cities of Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Manila, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Quezon, Valenzuela.

It also services certain areas in Cavite such as the cities of Bacoor, Cavite, and Imus, as well as the towns of Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario.—AOL, GMA News