Duterte reiterates pro-PPP stance

DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio reiterates her opposition to detractors’ claims that the newly-passed Public-Private Partnership (PPP) ordinance will lead to privatization of various state-run corporations.

The mayor, in her weekly press briefing Monday, said government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) are created by national laws, thus a mere ordinance won't lead to privatization contrary to claims of some groups.

In the mayor's earlier statement, she said it is absurd to say that PPP will privatize GOCCs in the near future.

"Gi-assume man gud nila ang katong mga GOCCs will be under PPP. GOCCs are created by national laws so dili na siya PPP. It's a corporation, meaning for profit siya, pero gobyerno ang nagpanagiya sa iyaha so dili na siya under sa purview sa PPP (Because they assumed that GOCCs will be under PPP. Since GOCCs are created by national laws, they are not under the PPP ordinance. GOCCs are intended for profit and these are owned by the National Government so these are not under the PPP ordinance)," the mayor said.

To recall, militant group Bayan-Southern Mindanao denounced the approval of the PPP, saying the public were not properly informed about it and that should the ordinance be approved by the City Council, it will cause long-term problems and additional burden on the part of the general public.

Councilor Jimmy Dureza, chair of the City Council committee on trade and commerce and industry, earlier said all stakeholders were invited as they have posted the schedule of the public hearings as provided for by the law.

"Ug katong ordinance na PPP, maayo lang pud to siya kung naa kay partner. Since wala pa'y project ug wala pay partner, so ordinansa lang siya na anytime ready gamiton kung gikinahnglan na (The PPP Ordinance is only good if you have partner and a project. But if you don't have it, it will remain a dormant ordinance)," Duterte-Carpio said. (Jereco O. Paloma)