ILOILO CITY, (PNA)– Gov. Arthur D. Defensor has acknowledged the recent court ruling empowering him as the appointing authority in the selection of board members of the Metro Iloilo Water District.
But he said he is reaching out to City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog here as head of a local government unit with more water consumers than the combined number of concessionaires from seven municipalities covered by MIWD franchise.
Defensor said that in respect to the city government, both heads of the city and province will have to work out the composition of new MIWD board of directors with sectoral representation to be appointed by the governor to take over the functions of the interim board appointed by the Local Waterworks Utilities Administration (LWUA).
Regional Trial Court Branch 24 Judge Danilo Galvez affirmed on September 16, 2013 the findings of a commission he created to look into the number of active concessionaires of MIWD to determine who has power to appoint members of the MIWD board of directors.
On the other hand, Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said he is ready to abide with the court ruling and hopes to work with the provincial governor regarding the availability of sufficient water supply in the city.
Defensor acknowledged that it is the city which needs water more from the MIWD with 21,130, or 66.14 percent of the total number of concessionaires. While the towns of Maasin, Cabatuan, Sta Barbara, Pavia and parts of Leganes, Oton and San Miguel have only 10,818 or 33.86 percent of the grand total of more than 32,000 in the entire MIWD coverage area.
The RTC judge based his ruling on Presidential Decree No. 198 or the Local Water District Law which provides that if more than 75 percent of the total concessionaires are found in the city, the appointing authority shall be the city mayor. But if the total number of concessionaires in the city is below 75 percent, the appointing authority shall be the governor.
Meanwhile, MIWD failed to deliver potable water supply to 39 city barangays out of the toal 180 city barangays here covering 17 villages without MIWD pipeline and 22 with pipeline but without water. Also, 65 barangays suffered water rotation service every other day and 3 are partially served. While 73 barangays in three city districts only are fully served with MIWD water supply.
Mabilog was reported to be planning to impose his position as city chief executive before the end of 2013 against MIWD by calling barangay captains to submit an affidavit of no MIWD water in their respective area.
The city mayor said that bulk water suppliers Flo Water Resources and Primewater gave the capability to supply water but the main problem is on the water distribution lines of MIWD.