MCWD closes doors to customers
CEBU CITY (April 16, 2024) – The officer-in-charge of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) has expressed his intent to resign.
Lawyer John DX Lapid admitted that criticisms he received after his appointment as MCWD acting GM has taken its toll on his family.
“I considered everything. I thought about it overnight. Gihilakan ni sa akong asawa kay kapoy na. I am really stressed with what is happening between LWUA and MCWD,” Lapid told reporters in a conference call through Facebook today.
Lapid said politics also played a part for his reasons to resign.
“I am trying to fight with what I know is right unta but ang problema kay nasudlan og politika. Gigamit og politics ba which I do not like. Dili ko ganahan og politika, dili ko ganahan gamiton ko sa politics,” he added.
Lapid said he plans to inform the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) of his decision today.
Though he remains an employee of MCWD, Lapid admits he is considering to resign from the water district and focus on his law practice full-time.
“As an employee, I’m considering it, but gihunahuna pa nako, gitun-an pa nako kung unsay makaayo sa akong pamilya. Right now, pamilya nako akong sentro,” he added.
Malacanang ‘must now intervene’
Separately, Mayor Mike Rama said he will not comment on Lapid’s resignation, adding that he is “holding his punches” for the meantime.
He called on LWUA to stand its ground especially that it has the legal ascendancy to question MCWD’s dealings.
He also reiterated his call to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to intervene in the controversy in order to solve the water crisis affecting Cebu.
The mayor also denied that politics was involved in City Hall’s intervention at MCWD.
“There is no politics, this is making the rule of law be observed. Plain and simple. Not meddling,” Rama said in Ingna’ng Mayor over Sugboanon Channel today.
He ommended City administrator Collin Rosell for handling the crisis.
The mayor also urged the suspended MCWD officials to respect LWUA’s mandate and uphold the rule of law.
Rama said the current crisis would not have happened if the suspended water district officials respected LWUA’s mandate.
“How can be law on the side of people suspended entering. Are they now substituting LWUA?” he added.
Rama recalls he already appointed members of the MCWD board, pointing out that they could get their hands on and address the water district’s woes.
“Pasudla na lagi na kay trabaho-on na na namo tanan. Being my appointees, they will have my full support,” he said.
“Those that I have appointed are imbued with so much experience in the public and private corporations,” he said.
“We have a well-decorated (Army) major general, liberator of Cebu City from the quagmire of CoViD, and that is Mel Feliciano, a system man, a PMA’er, replete with curriculum vitae,” he added.
Customers ‘affected’
In a related development, some customers who visited MCWD’s headquarters in downtown Cebu City were refused to entry and told that it will not accept transactions for the meantime.
On its FB page, the MCWD said all of its frontline services at its main office are not available starting today due to “an ongoing breach.”
It urged customers to refrain from visiting its office and instead make use of its collection centers.
MCWD also announced that disconnections of accounts are suspended until further notice.
But for some customers, the temporary closure of MCWD’s headquarters has affected them greatly.
Nonong, 41, and Pedro, 30, said they were at MCWD to inquire how they can apply for reconnection of their water supply when the water district decided to close its doors.
“Wala man untay problema kung wala paka naputlan. Pero sa mga naputlan pareha namo, makadugang na hinoon og kahasol,” Nonong told Cebu City News.
“Naproblema na gane tag pangita og ibayad para magpa-reconnection, karun hasolon pa ta kay dili sad abli ang MCWD,” said Pedro. | PPRMN / jkv
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