Palace hits VP Sara: You don't know the law on rainwater collection

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro on Wednesday hit back at Vice President Sara Duterte for saying that floodwaters should be delivered to Malacañang for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to drink. 

At a press briefing, Castro pointed out that it seemed the Vice President does not know the law regarding rainwater collection, adding that Duterte mocked the President's suggestion.

''Unang-una po, kinutya niya ang suhestiyon na ito ng Pangulo na ipunin ang tubig-ulan. Marahil ay hindi po niya batid ang batas na ito, hindi po ito bago kaya nakapagtataka po na mayroon tayo na Bise Presidente pero hindi po niya alam ang batas patungkol po dito sa rainwater collectors – mayroon na po itong batas, Republic Act Number 6716, ito pa po ay noong March 17, 1989 – An Act Providing for the Construction of Water Wells, Rainwater Collectors, Development of Springs and Rehabilitation of Existing Water Wells in All Barangays in the Philippines,'' Castro said. 

(First of all, he mocked the suggestion of the President to collect rainwater. Maybe she doesn't know the law. It's surprising that she doesn't know, we have a law regarding rainwater collectors. This is Republic Act Number 6716 or An Act Providing for the Construction of Water Wells, Rainwater Collectors, Development of Springs and Rehabilitation of Existing Water Wells in All Barangays in the Philippines.) 

''So, nakakapagtaka po talaga na wala po yatang kaalam-alam ang Bise Presidente patungkol po sa rainwater collection system at ang pinapalabas lamang niya ay pag-iipon ng tubig sa timba,'' she added.

(It's surprising that the Vice President doesn't know anything about the rainwater collection system and she just knows how to collect water using buckets.) 

To recall, during Marcos’ visit to the Department of Social Welfare And Development (DSWD)-National Resource Operations Center last July 18, the President tried drinking water from the agency’s family water filtration kit—which could be used in areas with limited access to clean water in times of disasters. 

“‘Yung tinesting namin, ‘yun ‘yung balde na mayroong filter na kahit anong klaseng tubig, ‘wag lang maalat, pero kahit na iba, basta fresh water, kahit hindi masyadong malinis, pwedeng ilagay sa balde, pwedeng inumin. Idadaan lang doon sa filter na ‘yun,” Marcos said. 

(We tested the basin that has a filter. Any kind of water—fresh water not salt water—even if it’s not clean, you can put it in the basin and you can drink it. It just has to go through the filter.) 

In an interview at The Hague on Monday, Vice President Duterte was asked about the suggestion of Marcos to store floodwater and reuse it. She then said floodwater should be collected and delivered to the Palace so the Chief Executive can drink it.

“Ipunin po natin lahat tapos i-deliver po natin sa Malacañang para po may mainom siya,” she said. 

(Let’s collect it and deliver it to Malacañang so that he can drink it.)

“Ganoon na po ang gagawin natin—ipunin natin lahat tapos i-deliver po natin sa Malacañang para meron silang mainom doon,” she added. 

(That’s what we’ll do—we’ll collect floodwater and then deliver it to Malacañang so that they have something to drink.)

Meanwhile, Castro also slammed the Vice President for criticizing the government's response on floods, saying that Duterte is not in the country to know the measures of the administration in addressing the issue. 

''Unang-una po ay hindi naman po talaga malalaman marahil ni Bise Presidente kung ano po ang pagpi-prepare ng administrasyon patungkol po dito sa Bagyong Crising dahil wala po siya sa bansa at nagbabakasyon siya sa The Hague. Dahil ang mga pagpupulong na ito na kasama po, bago po umalis ang Pangulong Marcos papuntang US, hindi po rin niya ito malamang nakita at nabalitaan,'' Castro said.

(First of all, she wouldn't know the preparations of the administration on Crising because she is not here and she's on vacation at The Hague. She didn't hear or lean about the meetings before President Marcos left for the US.) 

''At muli, wala po ang kaniyang presensiya sa Pilipinas para husgahan kung anuman ang naging trabaho ng Pangulo at ng administrasyon at ng mga concerned agencies patungkol po dito sa Bagyong Crising,'' she added.

(Her presence is not here to judge whatever work the President and the administration did as regards Tropical Cyclone Crising.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News