Duterte's order to release 150 days' worth of water from Angat Dam 'erroneous' —Bayan

Bayan Secretary-General Renato Reyes on Saturday described as "erroneous" and "ill-advised" President Rodrigo Duterte's order to the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to release 150 days' worth of water from Angat Dam to address the water shortage.

"It would appear that Malacañang is not fully on top of the water crisis as the order it gave to MWSS to open Angat Dam turned out to be erroneous and ill-advised. The dams are already open, with aqueducts at full capacity, and that there is no such thing as 'water good for 150 days,'" Reyes said in a statement.

"Water concessionaires have admitted that there are infrastructure limitations on their end which prevent them from addressing the crisis. Earlier, Manila Water had expanded its coverage even if its existing facilities could not meet growing demand. Project delays and miscalculations contributed to the crisis," he added.

Reyes commented after MWSS administrator Reynaldo Velasco clarified that "there's no such thing as 150 days worth of water," but by million liters per day or MLD.

The MWSS however said it will comply with the order of the President and revealed its plans to address the water shortage in parts of Metro Manila.

The Bayan Secretary-General called for an investigation of Manila Water for its alleged negligence in providing water to affected households in Metro Manila.

"Apart from restoring services at the soonest possible time, it is now necessary for government to determine if Manila Water was in violation of its 1997 concession agreement when it failed to provide millions of households with water. There should be a penalty for its negligence and serious errors. There has to be accountability." —Jamil Santos/KG, GMA News