At a Senate Committee on Public Services hearing, Senator Raffy Tulfo slammed PrimeWater Infrastructure Corporation, the water utility company owned by the Villar family, over what he described as unfair charges and questionable revenue-sharing schemes.
“Kung ang consumer ay hindi makabayad sa tamang oras, mabilis ang disconnecting pero kapag problema ng serbisyo ang dahilan, bukod sa kawalan ng tubig ay may dagdag pang reconnection charge at may sunod-sunod na penalty,” Tulfo said during the hearing.
Citing financial data from several water districts, Tulfo pointed out drastic revenue declines since PrimeWater’s joint venture agreements (JVAs) took over operations. In San Jose del Monte, revenues fell from ₱126 million to just ₱2 million; in Cabanatuan, from ₱74 million to a ₱28 million loss; in Tagaytay, from ₱55 million to ₱12 million; and in Malolos, from ₱24 million to ₱8 million.
Tulfo argued that the existing revenue-sharing arrangement puts both water districts and consumers at a disadvantage while PrimeWater continues to benefit.
“This is a result of unjustified revenue-sharing scheme sticked in the JVAs (joint-venture agreement), on the other hand… PrimeWater’s actual earning from these contracts remain hidden from the public,” he said.
As of press time, Villar family members—Senators Mark and Camille Villar, who sit in the same chamber as Tulfo—have yet to respond to the lawmaker’s criticisms.