Members of the Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) are seeking the help of President Rodrigo Duterte to probe the deal between the Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA) and PrimeWater Infrastructure Inc., which is owned by the Villar family.
The resolution requesting Duterte through the Department of Justice to look into the matter and review the validity of the joint venture agreement between BACIWA and PrimeWater, which was authored by Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr., was passed unanimously by members of the city council in their regular session today, January 13.
BACIWA is considered to be a government-owned and controlled corporation, the same is imbued with public interest and its creation or charter emanated from Presidential Decree 198, Gamboa said.
He added that Section 18 of Presidential Decree 198 provides that the function of the board is to establish policy and the Board shall not engage in the derailed management of the water district.
PrimeWater took over the operations of BACIWA on November 16.
Following the deal, positions of the 60 workers were declared redundant by the Board of Directors.
The affected employees were separated from the utility firm effective December 31.
Gamboa said the status of the BACIWA employees will be tackled by the city council in their regular session next week.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod has “no jurisdiction” over the case of the 60 terminated employees of the Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA),
Earlier, Councilor Ana Marie Palermo said the SP has no jurisdiction over the case of the 60 terminated employees, adding that the workers could bring the matter to the Civil Service Commission and Ombudsman.*