Oro water crisis is self-inflicted emergency – Achas

“COWD (Cagayan de Oro Water District) has the money to pay COBI (Cagayan de Oro Bulk Water Supply). If they only convened their board to recognize and acknowledge this debt, wala unta ta'y problema karun.”

This was stressed by Minority Floor Leader Councilor Rustico Achas, during the 6th special session of the 20th City Council presided over by Vice Mayor Jocelyn B. Rodriguez, during deliberation of the Proposed Resolution No. 2023-720, calling on COWD to make emergency bulk water purchases from Rio Verde Water Consortium Inc. and other independent water concessionaires.

Councilor Achas believes there is no water crisis. The real crisis, he argued, is the negligence of COWD to fulfill its contractual obligations with COBI, which isto paythe P479 million outstanding debt.

“Ang COBI, nagtuo nga nay utang ang COWD nga 479 million. Ang COWD usab nag-insist nga naa sila'y utang worth P194 million. Buot pasabot …nga ang water district mismo nag-ingon nga ilang utang dili 479 million kun dili 194 million (lang),” explained Achas.

The minority floor leader sees an ‘evident bad faith’ on the side of COWD, which he described as “clearly notorious, a plain inclination or predilection to favor one side… a breach of sworn duty through some motive, intent, or ill will.”

He further added that had there been discussions of the terms of payment with COBI such as settling the amount in installment or staggered basis, all parties involved would not have been placed in a push-and-pull situation.

Achas asked about the process of obtaining the bulk water supply, the entities involved in the approval of the contract, the time element to have the contract approved, and the unfaltering commitment of Rio Verde to supply COWD, while the city is placed under the state of emergency.