By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Office of the President recently ordered the Commission on Audit (COA) to probe a 2002 loan of P537 million borrowed by the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) from the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA).
In a letter signed by Presidential Complaint Center (PCC) Director IV Jaime Mabilin and Task Force Kasanag (TFK) chairman John Chiong, they claim the loan was intended to provide the city with 24 hours of potable water, however, neither Baciwa nor LWUA could justify where the funding went as the city currently can only provide a few hours of potable water availability.
Chiong said the complaints were raised by concerned groups and, noted, the Baciwa board chairman has already been exposed for alleged anomalies.
Last June, Bacolod City-based watchdog group Water Watch Advocates (WWA) penned a letter to Baciwa, seeking clarification on the said loan.
“Numerous complaints of inefficiency and lack of adequate water supply have been hurled against Baciwa,” said WWA Secretary-General Wennie Sancho. “Consumers deserve to know how the P537 million was spent.”/WDJ