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Friday, May 20, 2005
Civil disobedience warned amid impending water rate hike
* Bayan says DCWD's scheduled public hearings "mere consuelo de bobo"
MILITANT group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in Southern Mindanao (Bayan-SMR) assailed the Davao City Water District for playing deaf to the legitimate call of Dabawenyos against the implementation of a water rate hike.
Bayan-SMR warned that in the event a water rate increase is implemented a civil disobedience protest will be staged against the water utility firm.
The group said DCWD's scheduled public hearings "are mere consuelo de bobo as DCWD, through its spokesperson Dominador Lopez, said that only the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) can stop its plan and not the people who are enraged with the 60 percent water rate hike much less the local government."
"Seemingly, the DCWDs series of public hearings and public information is part of persuading the people, rather conditioning their minds, to accept the imminent water rate hike in the midst of the deluge of new taxes, high prices of oil and basic commodities and even the fare hike," said Juland Suazo, Bayan-SMR acting secretary general, in a statement.
Suazo said with DCWDs declaration that the water rate hike is a done deal, "its public hearings neither intend to solicit the people's opinions nor heed to their calls".
"Indeed, this is arrogance on the part of the local water district, much more insensitivity over the people's economic distress. The DCWD has certainly denied the consumers' right to genuine consultation and has categorically deceived the latter for increasing its water rate," Suazo said.
It can be recalled that the DCWD first declared a 60 percent hike but Lopez confirmed that a whopping 71.6 percent will be imposed when Councilor Angela Librado and the Consumer Alliance against Regressive Taxes and Price Hikes (Consumer ALERT!) divulged the said fact based on their investigation.
"The DCWD has deliberately betrayed the people's trust and has certainly violated rules stipulated in the Presidential Decree No. 198 or the Provincial Water Utilities Act of 1973. Yet the DCWD has underestimated the people. Consumer groups together with the City Council and even the City Mayor have unanimously opposed the water rate hike on well-founded reasons," Suazo said.
He said if the DCWD Board pursues the water rate hike, then they will be forced to stage a series of civil disobedience protests.
Unconfirmed reports revealed that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte called for Lopez to explain the issue. (BOT)
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (May 20, 2005 issue)
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