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Saturday, July 29, 2006
MCWD board to look into ‘irregularities’
The board of directors of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) is convening as a fact-finding body to investigate complaints of irregularities allegedly committed by the top-level management group of the water utility firm.
MCWD board chairman Juan Saul Montecillo said that in a special board meeting last Thursday, it was agreed that the board, as an investigating body, will hold hearings starting next week and invite complainants, particularly engineer Antonio Tompar, president and chief executive officer of Mactan Rock Industries Inc.
Tompar, among other allegations, said the Cebuanos are paying higher water rates because the management awarded the water supply contract to a favored firm with a selling price of P19 per cubic meter. His offer was P13.85 per cubic meter.
Records showed that the contract in the supply of water from Minglanilla town was awarded to Foremost/Helpmate.
Tompar said that Mactan Rock did not anymore participate in the bidding in the supply of water from Talisay City because of MCWD management’s insistence of the LGU (local government unit) permit requirement.
Tompar also accused MCWD top level managers of trying to terminate Mactan Rock’s water supply contract this year instead of 2008 because MCWD is planning to engage in the operations itself.
Mactan Rock supplies Lapu-Lapu City and Cordova town in Mactan Island.
However, the company and MCWD tangled over the supply contract.
MCWD, through general manager Armando Paredes, warned Mactan Rock that it will impose penalties for alleged short deliveries by the private water supplier.
Tompar had warned that his company will cease operations if MCWD carries out the penalties.
Paredes earlier said, though, that MCWD does not intend to impose the penalties at this time.
Lawyer Rico Tautho, a member of the MCWD board, said that although they have no disciplinary authority over the management, they can determine the veracity of the complaints and, if there is strong evidence, they can act as complainants against the managers in filing charges with the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.
Tautho said they welcome other complainants to present their evidence against the MCWD managers during the hearings.
Montecillo said the board will start the hearing on Monday and he is hoping that Tompar will shed light on his allegations and make his letter-complaint into an affidavit.
Tompar, for his part, said he will cooperate with the investigation to show that what he said in his letter is true. (EOB)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 29, 2006 issue)
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