Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, known for using “salty” language to assail his adversaries, once again had harsh words against the leaders of Metro Manila's water distributors calling them “thieves” and opining that “crazy rich” people should be killed.

The president was speaking with former rebels in San Isidro, Leyte, when he made the comments. He further added, “[Translated] But Philippines has been gravely fooled by the rich people in the Philippines. Just like Ayala and Pangilinan who own Globe and Smart. They are all thieves, those sons of b------. That’s the whole truth.”

He continued, “There are rich people in the Philippines who are crazy. They’re the ones whom we should kill. They are listening now because this is being broadcasted nationwide. Well, it’s good for them to hear this. They have violated the rights of people. They are just distributors of water, yet they have become millionaires because they overpowered the Filipino. That’s why I am angry at them.”

Telecommunications provider Globe Telecom and Smart Communications are under fire from Duterte but the brunt of his ire is directed at Manila Water and Maynilad Water Services. The latter is the water and wastewater services provider of cities and municipalities that form the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area.

In 2017 Maynilad won its case in The Singapore-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) that ordered the Philippine government to pay it P3.4 billion. In November of last year, the same court ordered the government to pay Manila Water P7.4 billion from “actual losses” for the refusal of the regulator, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), to allow the water concessionaire to raise water rates over the past several years.

According to a December article by Inquirer.net, the argument in both cases was a stipulation in their contracts that barred the government from interfering in the setting of rates. Duterte described the provisions as “economic sabotage” that was disadvantageous to the government and public.

The latest twist occurred on Tuesday when the two companies they said they would no longer seek to collect from the government the nearly 11 billion Philippine pesos (US220 million) that the PCA had awarded them. This may be a concession deemed necessary for future water contract negotiations.

The December Inquirer.net article also alluded to Duterte suspending the writ of habeas corpus (usually reserved to protect prisoners) to compel the owners of the water firms and government lawyers who crafted the contracts to talk. He also considered having the government takeover water distribution and treatment operations in Metro Manila should he be unsatisfied with the firms’ explanation of the contracts

RELATED STORIES