00:00Results of a Senate inquiry on deals between local water districts and the Bilyar-owned Prime Water Utilities Company
00:08show the consumers getting shortchanged on services and the local water districts losing money.
00:14Committee Chair Senator Rafi Tulfo, after grilling officers of the local water district of San Juan del Monte,
00:21said the joint water venture agreement between Prime Water and the local water district
00:25did not yield a good result for the SJDM subscribers or customers.
00:32Hence, a subpoena calling Prime Water officials is in order as our Mary-Vell Custodio comes back with more.
00:40The committee is hereby ordered to issue a subpoena du Cestecom to the offices of Prime Water
00:47to bring all pertinent joint venture agreements between Prime Water and Concerns Water District.
00:54This comes after the report of allegedly questionable contracts that have supposedly put local water districts
01:01at a disadvantage in their joint venture agreement with Prime Water Infrastructure Corporation.
01:07In the presentation of Committee on Public Service Chairperson Senator Rafi Tulfo,
01:11he showed a drop in net income of water districts with JVAs with Prime Water.
01:16The posted performance bond also did not meet the required amount, based on the 2023 Commission on Audit report.
01:22Then for Das Marinas Water District, a bond of just 9.5 million pesos was posted,
01:30far below the required, ito na, nakakasakit mga ulo, magkakamigrain po kayo rito.
01:37Ang bond na required sa Das Marinas Water District ay 775 million,
01:44pero ang bond na pinos namang ay 9.5 million.
01:50The local government of San Jose Dalmonte, Bulacan, meanwhile, defended its Water District's decision
01:56to enter into a joint venture agreement with Prime Water.
01:59Even before JVA, the city was considered to have one of the best water services in the country.
02:05According to the representative of San Jose Dalmonte LGU,
02:08the city's growing population of water consumers was the reason they agreed to the JVA.
02:14Ang mga reklamo ng prime water came only during the pandemic time, in San Jose Dalmonte.
02:20That was 2020.
02:22Pero even before pandemic sa ibang mga lugar, may mga reklamo na, sir.
02:28At least you should have done due diligence.
02:31Na naging bisnigan kayo.
02:32Senator Tulfo also questioned the delays of the approval of the water safety plan,
02:37pouring out the muddy water coming from the faucets in some areas served by prime water.
02:42The Local Water Utilities Administration, or LUWA,
02:45admitted they lack manpower and authority to thoroughly review the JVA's prime water and local water districts.
02:53We did not have jurisdiction or power to settle actual controversies.
02:58It was also discussed that under the Public-Private Partnership Code,
03:10the project worth P15 billion pesos and above must be reviewed and approved by NEDA.
03:15But if the amount is below P15 billion pesos, the implementing agency will handle the review.
03:20Sino ba namang Poncho Pilatong Tengkoy ang may pakanaan itong PPP code na ito?
03:27Sino ba namang Poncho Pilatong Tengkoy ang may pakanaan itong PPP code na ito?
03:27Saan ka makikita ang P15 billion pesos na project, total project, sa isang lugar?
03:35Of course, wala.
03:40So ang mangyari, lahat ng mga proyekto from now on, they will no longer be subject to review.
03:46Yung PPP center po ay pwedeng tulungan ng IA to do a detailed evaluation.
03:53Ang isa pong bagong nilagay sa PPP code, yung negotiation gagawin bago i-approve.
03:59Sino head ng IA?
04:01So for, let's say, it's a water district.
04:05Exactly, local water district.
04:08O, sila din mag-approve, sila din yung may say.
04:13Yung binigay na rin do sa local water district.
04:15Pero at this point po, yung final contract, because it's considered as a national project,
04:23ang mag-re-review po ng kontrata ay tatlo.
04:26Ang PPP center, ang statutory council, which may be the OGCC or the OSP.
04:32Pero yung head ng IA po, ay yung local water district.
04:38Na meron pong say, dahil po siya ang head.
04:42Apa? O, di po ba?
04:45I rest my case.
04:46O, now kayo hindi rin.
04:47The committee will continue to review the joint vendor agreements in the next hearings.
04:52Vel Custodio for the National TV for a new and better Philippines.
