Bacolod Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr., on Wednesday, May 13, said he recently raised serious concerns before the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) regarding a Resolution of No Objection (RONO) granted to a private water supplier.
Gamboa, in a press release, said during the SP regular session last week he issued a manifestation to guide the public and the SP on legal issues surrounding alleged unauthorized water extraction.
The manifestation of Gamboa detailed that the “main proponent” behind the RONO request, former councilor Vladimir Gonzales, allegedly secured a bulk water supply contract with PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. through his company, Home Invest Holding Inc. (HIHI), while still serving as an elected official.
Gamboa, said the water is sourced from Bocal-Bocal in Barangay Alangilan via a partner company, ROVOCA.
The current arrangement reportedly involves HIHI purchasing water from ROVOCA at ₱5 per cubic meter and reselling it to PrimeWater at ₱14 per cubic meter, Gamboa added.
Gamboa said that Gonzales is now seeking SP approval to supply bulk water directly to consumers through a subsidiary, “Clean Water Supply Inc.”
This shift has reportedly resulted in Barangay Alangilan residents paying for water they previously enjoyed for free.
Gamboa alleged that the proponent is operating under a complex web of subsidiaries to bypass franchise requirements.
He pointed out the irony that Gonzales, while in office, authored a proposed ordinance to grant the LGU authority to issue water franchises—a move Gamboa claims was intended to give his existing corporate operations a “semblance of legality.”
Gamboa argued that the supplier is engaged in the “extraction” and “exploitation” of natural resources without a proper franchise, noting that under Presidential Decree 198, the exclusive right to extract water in Bacolod is reserved for the Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA).
Gamboa emphasized that while the Local Government Code of 1991 (R.A. 7160) allows cities to grant franchises for local utilities through ordinances, such a franchise must explicitly cover both the extraction and the transport of bulk water.
He reminded the body that under the Regalian Doctrine and the 1987 Constitution, all natural resources belong to the State.
Consequently, private corporations acting as vessels for distribution must be subject to royalties and fees payable to the Local Government Unit (LGU).
Gamboa warned that without a formal franchise ordinance, these activities lack the necessary legal framework to ensure the city receives its fair share of wealth derived from its natural resources.*
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