The leftist Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said Sunday it will file a complaint against Manila Water over prolonged service interruptions suffered by millions of Metro Manila residents
In a statement, Bayan said it would ask the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System to impose penalties on Manila Water for violating its contractual obligation to provide uninterrupted water services under its concession agreement with the government.
Specifically, Bayan said it would ask MWSS to suspend bill payments for Manila Water customers.
It would also seek a suspension of a water rate hike previously approved by the MWSS.
Millions of customers of Ayala-owned Manila Water, which services Metro Manila’s east zone, have suffered service interruptions for more than two weeks. In contrast, customers in the west zone, served by Maynilad Water Services Inc., have experienced no such interruptions, casting doubts on Manila Water’s earlier explanation that the shortage was caused by a dry spell as a result of the El Niño phenomenon.
At separate hearings at the House and the Senate, Manila Water president and CEO Ferdinand dela Cruz apologized for his company’s failure to provide 24/7 water service to its customers but ducked demands for a rebate.
The company said it would meet with the MWSS regulator Monday to discuss the call to suspend water payments.
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