The Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) condemned the recent ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Singapore ordering the government to pay P7.39 billion for supposed losses and other arbitration related costs incurred from June 1, 2015 to November 22, 2019.
“The public should be warned that we are not just being asked to compensate Manila Water. Maynilad also has similar claims. Between them, they are claiming immediate compensation totaling P10.8 billion for denied rate hike petitions after winning in international arbitration. But in the case of Manila Water, that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” Rene Ofreneo, FDC president said today.
Metro Manila’s two water concessionaires filed several arbitration cases stemming from a dispute following the rate-rebasing done in 2013. In the first set of cases, Maynilad won
while Manila Water lost.