A neutral ‘independent third party’ is needed to help resolve the ongoing dispute between the Cagayan de Oro City Water District (COWD) and its bulk water supplier, Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy said.

 

‘There should be a third party that would help resolve this dispute between COWD and Cagayan de Oro Bulk Water Inc.). A third party that’s neutral. We have a local chapter of certified public accountants (CPAs), even a group of retired judges that (can help find ways to solve this problem),’ Mayor Klarex said in Visayan during Monday’s flag raising program.

 

Mayor Klarex first announced this ‘third party’ proposal during his Friday program ‘Ang Inyong Alagad: Mayor Klarex Uy.’

 

Mayor Klarex also reiterated during Monday’s flag raising program that he won’t lift his declaration of a ‘state of emergency’ in the city until the threat of disconnection by COBI remains.

 

Last Friday, Mayor Klarex refuted an allegation by COBI as contained in a letter by the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) that the city police made a ‘forced entry’ into the facilities of Rio Verde Water Consortium Inc. in Barangay Indahag.

 

This came following COBI’s letter to Rio Verde confirming their disconnection of service to COWD effective 12 am of May 1.

 

Mayor Klarex said the city police remained outside Rio Verde’s facilities in Barangay Indahag as a deterrent against saboteurs wishing to exploit the situation between COWD and COBI.

 

The state of emergency also includes the deployment of an incident management team (IMT) that ‘can mobilize resources’ to handle problems arising from the cutoff of water supply.

 

While Mayor Klarex secured commitments from other bulk water suppliers like Rio Verde to continue supplying water to the city’s first district—who will be severely hit by COBI’s disconnection—he said City Hall isn’t taking any chances.

‘It’s the government’s responsibility to ensure that public welfare will not be compromised,’ Mayor Klarex said in Visayan. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)