Palace open to ‘anything’ to settle differences with Maynilad

FILE: Presidential Spokesperson Panelo during a press briefing on January 3, 2019, Thursday (Photo: PTV/Facebook)

MANILA — Malacañang on Tuesday said it is open to solutions that may settle differences between the government and water concessionaire Maynilad in relation to issues concerning the country’s water supply.

“Anything that will settle the differences is always welcome,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing but did not give further details.

Panelo earlier said that even if Maynilad decides to withdraw its arbitration proceedings, the government may still prosecute officials of the water concessionaire.

Maynilad chairman Manuel Pangilinan had said the company is more than willing to drop the arbitration proceedings with the government as long as there is a way forward on the tariffs.

In 2018, the Singapore High Court upheld its arbitral award in favor of Maynilad and ordered the Philippine government to compensate the water concessionaire for revenue losses due to regulators’ refusal to implement water tariff adjustments.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte has ordered the Office of the Solicitor General, the Department of Justice, and all legal departments to review all contracts entered into by the government with private corporations, including Maynilad.

This after Duterte learned that government had to pay at least PHP3.4 billion to the water concessionaire after losing an arbitration case in 2018.

Meanwhile, Panelo said he has no word on whether water concessionaires and Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) have submitted a report indicating measures to keep the country’s water supply steady.

Duterte earlier gave MWSS and water concessionaires until April 10 to submit a report on measures to address the water shortage and prevent it from recurring.