Bulk suppliers threaten to stop water supply again By: Louine Hope Conserva THE bulk water suppliers of Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) again threatened to cut their supply because of money matters. MIWD management called for a press conference Friday evening after FLO Water Resources Iloilo, Inc. and Prime Water Ventures Corp. said in a letter that they will cut the water supply 6 a.m. today, August 9. FLO Water, which is owned by businessman Rogelio Florete Sr., wants MIWD to pay P5 million so it can continue its operations and pay its loans. Dr. Danilo Encarnacion, MIWD board chairman, said they tried to pay some P7.44 million to FLO Water - P5,653,906 for the volume delivered from February 2013 to January 2014 and P1,788,414 for the delivery in May 2014. But Encarnacion said FLO Water did not accept the two checks as it wants MIWD to pay P5 million a month. FLO is required to deliver 15,000 cubic meters daily (CMD) to MIWD. But due to pipe constraints, it can only inject 5,000 to 6,000 CMD. Prime Water’s contracted volume is 10,000 CMD which comes from FLO Water’s treatment plant in Pototan, Iloilo. FLO is insisting that MIWD pay for the undelivered 10,000 CMD but the water district is firm that it will only pay for the actual deliveries as stipulated in their contract. “We do not want people to pay for the water that they have not consumed,” Encarnacion said. FLO Water insists that the MIWD board and management promised to pay P5 million a month during a conference with Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. and Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog. Defensor said he cannot recall anymore the details of the agreement. Defensor said he will not anymore intervene in the squabble and will let the two parties settle their problems. PAYMENTS Encarnacion said they are prompt payers as they have already paid up their arrears. “In terms of the current payables for delivered water, we are on the right track. And we are also done with their arrears. Our records would show these are true,” Encarnacion told reporters. Encarnacion said their remaining payables are the current water delivered in June and July 2014. Encarnacion said they are open for negotiations with FLO Water before 6 a.m. as they do not want to put public interest in a “hostage situation.” “This should not be happening. We can communicate rather than risk public interest,” he said. Encarnacion said consumers in Jaro and Leganes will suffer the most if FLO Water cuts its supply. MIWD apologized to the consumers and said that they have already taken remedies in anticipation of the threat. Encarnacion said they will take legal actions if FLO Water carries out its threat. This is the third time that the bulk water suppliers threatened to cut supply to MIWD. Atty. Roy Villa, MIWD legal counsel, said they will exercise their step-in rights which states that if the bulk water suppliers fails to resume supply within 48 hours, they will take over the plant.
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 22:40:36 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015