BUTUAN CITY: Mayor Ferdinand Amante
Jr. and the City Council have joined forces in calling BCWD officials to show
them copies of the alleged P500-million Public-Private Partnership Agreement the
water firm entered into with a private firm.
Amante said the water district is supposed
to be transparent to the public but until now, the city is kept in the dark,
including him as he failed to get the copy of the said agreement.
Earlier, the City Council has
requested BCWD to hand over the P500-million agreement which was its 25-year
bulk water supply deal.
Public interest demands it which in
turn might erase all speculations and doubts, the mayor explained.
Amante said he finds it difficult
to remove from office BCWD General Manager Engineer Anselmo Sangtian because of
certain provisions of Civil Service laws.
Even BCWD’s board of directors,
Amante admitted his appointing powers for membership are still to be concurred
by the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA).
Last January 9, the Butuan Agusan
Hotel and Restaurant Association (BAHARA) wrote to LWUA Administrator Andref F.
Ibarra requesting him to remove Sangtian and BCWD’s board members.
The hotel owners and managers group
also asked the Commission on Audit to investigate BCWD over the P1-billion LWUA
loan.
BAHARA president Dr. Potenciano
Malvar scored BWCD for what he calls as its “inutile services.”
Potenciano said in his letter BCWD caused
inconveniences in their businesses through irregular water interruptions and
water turbidity.
When asked, Amante said BAHARA has
the right to air their grievances and complaints to BCWD.
Meanwhile, Councilors Sergio Pascual,
Ryan Anthony Culima and Ferdinand Nalcot said BCWD has been turning a deaf ear
to their repeated request for the copy of the documents.
The said councilors declared that
BCWD, through its general manager, insulted the City Council. (WITH REPORTS
FROM BEN SERRANO)