City mulls actions vs water rate hike

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

THE City Council is set to pass a resolution urging the City Legal Office to file necessary actions against the Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) for reportedly implementing an increase in water rates despite the court’s restraining order.

The move came after City Councilor Alden Bacal reported during Tuesday’s regular session that there was an adjustment of the water rates based on the present billing.

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Bacal, chairperson of the City Council’s committee on public utility, said his billing for January, which reflected the December water consumption, showed that they consumed 7.652 cubic meter of water compared to their December billing, which showed water consumption of 7.541 cubic meter.

“How come that our January billing increased when there was no water in December, especially after Sendong? So it means that the COWD increased its rates,” he said.

Councilor Adrian Barba, according to Bacal, also manifested an increase in his present water bill compared to his previous billings.

In December 2011, branch 38 of the Regional Trial Court issued a restraining order to COWD not to continue its water rate adjustment after the City Government, through its legal officers, filed a writ of preliminary injunction.

Bacal said after the court issued a restraining order, it was then followed by an injunction order.

“In fact, the management has manifested to the court that they will not implement water rate increase,” he said.

Bacal added that the management of COWD failed to inform his committee on the result of their public hearing for the proposed water rate adjustment last year, as what has been agreed.

“We were just surprised that the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) approved their adjustment without our recommendation. They even sent a letter of apology to my committee,” Bacal said.

Because of this, Councilor Ramon Tabor proposed that the COWD be cited for contempt for “disrespect” and not following the court’s order.

As Bacal and Tabor wanted to reprimand COWD for this, Councilor Juan Sia, however, appealed to his colleagues to stay calm, which was supported by Councilor Ian Mark Nacaya.

Sia said COWD officials should be given the chance to explain, instead of making “callous actions.”

Nacaya added that a “little understanding” must be considered by both parties.

“Why not sit down and discuss things over?” he said.

However, Bacal said since the case is already in court, they could not make further investigation or else they could be subjected to “sub-judicism.”

“But the COWD management should clarify and explain this issue despite the court’s injunction order through the City Legal Office,” he said.

Ladele Sagrado, manager of COWD’s press relations/information division, said the case is already in the court.

“We do respect the judicial process so we would like to refrain from giving comments on the matter,” Sagrado said.

However, on billing issues, she urged concessionaires to visit the COWD’s customer care for them to be enlightened why their January billing increased.

Sagrado said some concessionaires have increased water bills due to “commodity charges.”

She said the reading of consumed water by most concessionaires was last done in November 2011 yet while the next reading was already in January 2012.

“But we encourage our concessionaires to visit the customer care of COWD so they would understand how this is being computed,” Sagrado said. (With Terry D.C. Betonio)