THE Cebu Manila Water Development Inc. (Cebu Water) has been ordered anew to stop digging two deep wells in the northern town of Carmen.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia issued Executive Order 26 on Friday, Oct. 2, 2020, requesting the Carmen Municipal Government, the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to carry out the order.
Garcia was dismayed after learning that Cebu Water continued digging its third and fourth deep wells after it was told to stop last Sept. 11, the Capitol-run Sugbo News reported.
“When we said that is not going to operate, why waste more money on continuing the project?” Garcia said. “You wanted both wells to be ready for operation in spite of my pronouncement that these wells will not operate.”
The digging was discovered during an inspection conducted by the Provincial Engineering Office (PEO). The matter was divulged by PEO hydrology division’s materials testing and quality control chief Rey Mariñas during a meeting with Cebu Water officials on Thursday, Oct. 1.
In another meeting on Sept. 1, Manila Water Philippine Ventures manager for Visayas and Mindanao Constantine Uy admitted they failed to get permits from the Carmen Municipal Council, the Provincial Board and the Office of the Governor for the digging of the first two deep wells and the third and fourth wells.
Garcia said digging without permission violated the Joint Investment Agreement (JIA) between the Capitol and Cebu Water.
The JIA states that Cebu Water can only source its supply from the surface water of Luyang River in the town and not from deep wells. (ANV / KAL)