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Friday, September 26, 2003
Politics may block MCWD water deal
By Jeanette P. Malinao
CEBU -- Minglanilla Mayor Marlo Caņada is now reviewing Helpmate's contract with the Municipal Government, believing that the company's franchise allows it to tap water from the southern town only for the residents' supply.
Caņada said the feedback he gathered from his people shows that they don't agree to the idea of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) sourcing water from their town through Helpmate.
Because of this, Caņada said he will be "hesitant" to issue whatever permits Helpmate will need to deliver 4,000 cubic meters of water per day as stated in its contract with MCWD.
"Supplying water commercially from Minglanilla is still subject to a discussion," said Caņada in a telephone interview.
MCWD had hoped that by dealing with a private company, such as Helpmate, it will get additional water without getting snagged by a local government unit.
The utility company had set up 14 wells in Compostela town in 1992, as part of a multimillion-peso project. Those wells remain idle to this day.
Apart from the Minglanilla mayor's hesitation, MCWD will have to deal with its union, which asked the Commission on Audit and the Office of the Ombudsman to halt the "disadvantageous" contract with Helpmate. (See related story)
MCWD serves 90,000 connections from Talisay City to Compostela and could use whatever supply it gets from any local government unit.
However, Caņada said Rene Kintanar, one of Helpmate's incorporators, told him they will be getting water not from Minglanilla but from Naga town, where they have an agreement with the council to tap 15,000 cubic meters per day.
Favored?
The conversation with Kintanar happened while he (Kintanar) was supervising the installation of pipelines in Barangay Linao, said Caņada.
"Kintanar already knows my stand," he said.
Caņada also admitted that other bidders for MCWD's project of tapping water from Minglanilla were not able to get a permit from the town.
But he said this was because the local council, headed by Vice Mayor Eduardo Selma, "favors" Helpmate.
Caņada said Helpmate was able to get a permit from Minglanilla when Selma was still mayor.
Other companies whose efforts to get permits were blocked by the council, such as Mactan Rock Industries, processed their papers when Selma was already the council's presiding officer.
Caņada said he does not want to issue the permit without the council's approval because he wants to avoid conflict.
The mayor said Help-mate's competitors, including the local water cooperative, have the "impression" that Selma and the council are "protecting" Helpmate.
Protection
The Minglanilla Water Service Cooperative even believes that Selma, as then mayor, should have protected the services of the cooperative by not allowing Helpmate to operate in the town.
But Selma reportedly pointed out that the cooperative is not capable of supplying water to all of Minglanilla's barangays.
As of now, Helpmate supplies water to four barangays: Tubod, Pakigne, Linao and Tungkil.
But a reliable source also said politics is the source of the issues raised against MCWD's contract with Helpmate.
Selma is an ally of Rep. Simeon Kintanar who, according to a source, is part owner of Helpmate.
Records obtained from the Securities and Exchange Commission list a Simeon Kintanar from Argao as one of Helpmate's incorporators, but it could not be confirmed as of presstime if it referred to the congressman from Cebu's second district. Sun.Star Cebu
(September 26, 2003 issue)
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