Put up water treatment facilities: PRRD tells Manila Bay hotels

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, in his speech during the thanksgiving dinner and 48th birthday celebration of Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, expresses his gratitude to the Former Foreign Affairs Secretary for his efforts in advancing the country’s interest in the international community and helping Filipinos overseas. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Tuesday asked hotels operating near Manila Bay to ensure that there are enough water treatment facilities established in the area or else risk getting a closure.

Duterte made this statement during the Barangay Summit on Peace and Order at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

“Lagyan ninyo ng water treatment yung hotel ninyo kung hindi, sirain ko ‘yan. Wag mo nga akong hamunin (Place water treatment facilities in your hotels, if not, I will demolish them. Don’t try me),” Duterte said.

“You do something about your waste there or otherwise I will close it. Sigurado ‘yan (That’s for sure),” he added.

Duterte made this remark a day after Monday’s Cabinet meeting where the proposal to use road user’s tax to finance the clean-up of Manila Bay was raised.

He said he had already asked Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to spearhead the clean-up.

“Sabi ko kay Roy Cimatu, pati si Gen. Año, (I told Roy Cimatu and even Gen. Año) you start cleaning the Manila Bay. They will start to clean it whether they like it or not,” Duterte said.

In a Palace briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that the President is likely to issue an executive order for the Manila Bay clean-up.

Panelo also said hotels which violated regulations, particularly on the absence or lack of water treatment facilities, may also face closure.

“The policy of the government is if you violate certain regulations – then you have to pay for that. Kung ano iyong ginawa natin saBoracay, iyon din ang gagawin natin sa lahat (What we did in Boracay, that’s what we’ll do everywhere),” Panelo said.

He said according to Cimatu, the goal was to finish the clean-up of Manila Bay by end of the President’s term.

“Ang timeline ni Secretary Roy—dahil ang laki ng Manila Bay eh, ang daming rivers na lilinisin, ang daming esteros. Parang hopefully sabi niya, at the end of your term matatapos ‘to (The timeline of Secretary Roy–because the Manila Bay is large, there are too many rivers to clean, many canals. Hopefully, at the end of the term it will be finished),” Panelo said.

“It will take some time, but what is important is uumpisahan (we get it started),” he added.

However, he said the clean-up may continue even with the succeeding administrations.