A CONVENOR of Citizens Watch for Good Governance (CWGG) is urging Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno to take a lead in resolving the issues surrounding the Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD).
Lawyer Antonio Soriano said Moreno should take charge and call his appointed board of directors to shed light on the problems of the COWD to ensure that the delivery of services will remain unhampered.
Soriano, the former city vice mayor, said Moreno should spare more time to take cognizance and focus on the issues concerning the COWD in the hope of properly addressing the problems.
"Dili ko makasulti nga wala siyay (Moreno) gihimo ang ako is awhagon lang nato ang mayor nga tagaan niya additional time ang problema sa COWD (I couldn't say that he has not done anything. We just want to urge the mayor to give additional time focusing the COWD problem)," Soriano said.
Soriano said the city mayor should do something being the head of the city government.
"It is like a symphony nga walay conductor which is ang mayor dapat ang mangunay. Though dili siya directly responsible but the fact that he has the appointing power sa board he has to take cognizance of the issues," he added.
Soriano said the performance delivered by the COWD board is also not satisfactory and lacks transparency.
Soriano cites situations where the water utility failed to maintain operations during calamities due to lack of preparations in ensuring it can continue to deliver water to its consumers.
"They are qualified and I dont think they have to resign. Kulang lang gyud ilang performance kung sa grado pasang awa ang ilang performance," Soriano said.
"The board should think out of the box kay history will tell us nga pila na ka bagyo nilabay wala silay other remedies nga ma-suplayan tag tubig," he added.
Soriano said what happens to the city's water utility is lamentable because of political and management prerogative issues.
He even slammed the move of the city council to investigate the grounds for the termination of erstwhile COWD manager Rachel Beja, saying the legislative body does not have the jurisdiction to do so.
Soriano also urged Beja to take legal actions should she finds her termination “illegal” without being accorded due process.
"Sa iyang dismissal dunay ba siyay sala, kung naa nag-underwent ba siyag due process. Kung naa siyay violation is that grave warranting dismissal (Wither her dismissal, does she have violated anything, if so was she accorded due process and was the violation that grave to warrant dismissal," Soriano said.