By Francis Allan L. Angelo and Lydia C. Pendon
ILOILO City Rep. Jerry P. Treñas said he was insulted by the latest brouhaha hounding Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) that he is mulling to conduct a congressional inquiry on the water firm.
Treñas said he felt slighted when the Local Waterworks Utility Administration (LWUA) nullified his appointees to the MIWD board on the ground that service connections in the city went down the 75% threshold.
Treñas said the city mayor has the sole power to appoint members of the board and this has been the practice since the inception of MIWD.
The congressman said the martial-law era Presidential Decree 198 was promulgated at the time when cities were under the jurisdictions of provinces.
“Times have changed. Chartered cities are autonomous and independent from the province,” he said.
Treñas said the management team headed by general manager Le Jayme Jalbuena is itching to take away the appointing powers of the city mayor, in cahoots with LWUA, when the board and the management are at odds with each other.
The congressman said he will launch the congressional inquiry if a complaint reaches him.
Treñas chairs the House committee on good government and public accountability.
Treñas said Iloilo City deserves good water service which the MIWD failed to deliver for the past several years and is only serving some 20 percent of its water concessionaires despite assistance from the city.
Aside from MIWD, the inquiry will also call on officials of LWUA for instigating the takeover of the water district and the non-recognition of present members of the board of directors.
Yesterday, Iloilo City Administrator Norlito Bautista asked the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) to dispatch police officers at the MIWD office on Bonifacio Drive, City Proper following reports that LWUA personnel will take over the water district.
Bautista said the police will only patrol the area and respond to commotion or any trouble that may erupt inside the MIWD office.
ICPO director Dennis Basngi said the security arrangement will be provided by the City Proper police station and Public Safety Management Battalion.
Mayor Mabilog vowed to get back at the MIWD management team and LWUA for stirring another controversy in the water district while he is abroad.
No comments:
Post a Comment