Manila Water COO quits

FILE: (L-R) MWF President Geodino Carpio, PTC Foundress Dr. Lydia Tansinsin, and DOST Assistant Secretary for International Cooperation Dr. Leah Buendia. (Photo: Manila Water Foundation/Facebook)

The chief operating officer of Manila Water Company, Inc., Geodino Carpio, has left his post.

Dittie Galang, the firm’s communications planning and tactical development manager, confirmed this in an interview with Dobol B sa News TV on Tuesday, April 16.

“Nagpadala na po kami ng liham sa Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) na tinanggap na nga po ‘yung pagbibitiw ng aming chief operating officer na si Mr. Geodino Carpio po, effective po today (We already sent a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission that the resignation of our chief operating officer, Mr. Geodino Carpio, has been accepted and is effective today),” she said.

She, however, did not disclose the reason why the latter is stepping down.

“Ang natanggap lang po naming notice ay tinanggap na po ng aming Board of Directors ang kaniyang pagbibitiw. Pero siya po ay magtatrabaho pa hanggang sa katapusan ng buwan (What we have received was just a notice that our Board of Directors accepted his resignation. But he will still work until the end of the month),” Galang said.

The company, she continued, has assigned Abelardo Basilio as an acting COO of the water concessionaire.

Basilio has been with the firm for 22 years and was the director of the technical services group, group director of East Zone business operations, and officer-in-charge of corporate regulatory affairs office.

Before joining Manila Water in 1997, Basilio was a young cadet in Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage Systems (MWSS) in 1984 where he gained experience in utility operations including hydraulic engineering, water treatment, distribution, and network management, according to the company’s website.

Carpio’s resignation came following the water crisis on certain areas in Metro Manila and Rizal province.

Due to this, President Rodrigo Duterte earlier threatened to fire officials of the MWSS and terminate concession contracts of Manila Water and Maynilad if they failed to properly address the water shortage.

Manila Water President Ferdinand dela Cruz had assured they were “taking seriously” Duterte’s “very loud and clear” instructions to them to fix the problem, and made sure that it won’t happen again.