Author Topic: Water rate hike takes effect Tuesday  (Read 737 times)

MikeLigalig.com

  • FOUNDER
  • Webmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 33285
  • Please use the share icons below
    • View Profile
    • Book Your Tickets on a Budget
Water rate hike takes effect Tuesday
« on: January 18, 2017, 12:47:26 PM »
NO TRO TO STOP IT
Water rate hike takes effect Tues
By: FRED C. AMORA
Published: December 03, 2006 by The Bohol Standard

... will the assailed action become a fait accompli, leaving nothing to restrain anymore?

The water rate increase sought by the Bohol Water Utilities Inc., will finally take effect on Tuesday, December 5 as no petition to stop it was filed in court as of this writing.

Water consumers will have to pay a minimum charge of P80 for those consuming less than 10 cubic meters. This is about 40.79 % increase from the previous minimum charge of only P68.80.

Those consuming 31 cubic meters and above will have to pay a much higher amount of P30.50 per cubic meter.

The new rates, however, were noticed already reflected in the billing for the month of November 2006, contrary to what BWUI publicly announced that it will still have to take effect this Tuesday in the month of December.

Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Handel Lagunay lamented on the inability of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to pass a much-needed resolution that would authorize Gov. Erico Aumentado to file a petition for a temporary restraining order at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) that could stop the impending Tuesday implementation.

The National Water Resource Board (NWRB) Rules and Pleadings, Practice and Procedure require that any appeal against the decision of the board shall be filed at the RTC of the province where the subject matter of the controversy is situated.

The SP did not hold session last Friday being the fifth in the month and also Andres Bonifacio Day, a non-working holiday

Lost Cause?
“However, it is not a lost cause. The provincial government can go ahead file a case and the court can stop the new increased rates upon its discretion,” Lagunay said.

The SP could have approved the other Friday a twin resolution proposed by board member Felix Uy, chairman of the public utilities committee; - the first one interposing objection to the water rate increase and the other authorizing the provincial governor to file a case against the water utility firm.

Board member Godofreda Tirol, however, called upon members of the provincial board for propriety, citing the fact that the provincial government is co-owner of the water utility firm (as well as the light company), with a 30% percent share pursuant to a year 2000 joint venture pact.

SP presiding officer Vice Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera suggested that the matter be referred back and tackled at the committee level, which chairman Uy agreed.

The next SP session will be on December 8, Friday, on which the Uy committee is expected to render its report and recommendations to the provincial board.

Fraud
Lagunay said, a panel of provincial legal officers is readying an intra-corporate complaint against BWUI but it cannot file this action in court without the provincial board’s authority given to the governor.

The legal action against BWUI will be anchored on fraud after the board resolution authorizing the petition for a water rate increase to NWRB was passed “without the participation” of Engr. Francisco Ceniza, the appointed representative of the provincial government to the water utility firm board of directors.

Lagunay said there is an agreement among BWUI board of directors that there should be unanimity on the rates increase petition before it will be filed.

“Without the participation of the provincial government representative, the BWUI board resolution therefore is invalid and the petition for rates increase was unauthorized. Therefore, there could have been no valid petition to speak of in the first place,” lawyer Lagunay,” said.

NWRB Approval
The NWRB approved the BWUI application on September 20, 2006 despite the opposition posed by the provincial and city government.

The opposition of both the city and the provincial government were dismissed by the NWRB for lack of merit.

BWUI said it has submitted its petition for water rate increase to the NWRB as early as June 6, 2005. This is the first water rates adjustment made since taking over the management and operation of the then Provincial Waterworks System (PWS-PPUD) on December 2000, or about five years ago.

Although the JVA agreement allows water rate adjustment after two (2) years from the joint venture signing, BWUI said it did not do so but instead concentrated on rehabilitating the system.

An audited financial report by SGV showed a net loss of P13.7 million for BWUI ending year 2005 and it continued to operate at a loss aggravated by spiraling cost of materials and fuel brought about by the implementation of the Revised Value Added Tax (RVAT) last July 2006.

Privatization
BWUI is a sister company of the Bohol Light Company Inc., twin utility firms created by the multi-national group Salcon under a Joint Venture Agreement entered into with the provincial government in year 2000, during the incumbency of former governor Rene Relampagos.

Salcon paid P150-million, posting 70% majority share in both water and electric utilities with the provincial government retaining only 30 % ownership.

The sale or privatization issue cost the political career of Relampagos. He was defeated in the May 2001 elections and again suffered the same fate in 2004.

The new governor Erico Aumentado announced to the public his administration’s determination to buy-back these twin utilities.

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=85104.0
John 3:16-18 ESV
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son (Jesus Christ), that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

👉 GET easy and FAST online loan at www.tala.com Philippines

Book tickets anywhere for planes, trains, boats, bus at www.12go.co

unionbank online loan application low interest, credit card, easy and fast approval

Tags: