Malacañang assured the public that the government would uphold the country's interests as it defended the construction of the Chinese-funded Kaliwa Dam anew.
Communications Secretary Martin Andanar made this statement after vice-presidential aspirant Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said that the "rush to construct" the dam should not brush aside laws and the rights of communities affected by the project.
In his press briefing on Wednesday, April 6, Andanar defended the project anew, saying it is seen as the answer to the water supply issues in Metro Manila and other areas.
"Inaasahan na 600 million na litro ng tubig ang maidi-deliver sa National Capital Region (NCR) at kalapit na mga probinsiya dahil sa Kaliwa Dam (We expect that the Kaliwa Dam project will deliver 600 million liters of water to NCR and nearby provinces)," he said.
While recognizing the need for additional water sources in the country, Pangilinan, on April 5, questioned the signing of the memorandum of agreement for the P12.2-billion Chinese-funded deal despite staunch opposition from the Dumagat-Remontado tribe occupying portions of the project site.
He likewise warned of a "Pharmally-like" outcome where the government was said to have been duped due to allegedly overpriced Covid-19 equipment during the height of the pandemic.
According to Andanar, the public has nothing to worry about since the Kaliwa Dam project will undergo due process.
"The Duterte administration prioritizes national interest and the gains of the Filipino people from this infrastructure. We that the Kaliwa Dam project undergoes the due process, noting that all stakeholders, including the Indigenous Peoples and the concerned local government units (LGUs), are involved in the negotiations," he said.
"Sisiguraduhin natin na ang makikinabang mula sa proyektong ito ay walang sinuman kung hindi ang taumbayan lamang (We will make sure that no one but the public will benefit from this project)," he added.
The 60-meter-high reservoir of the New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project will cover 291 hectares of the Kaliwa Watershed Forest Reserve and the adjoining ancestral domains of the Dumagat-Remontado communities in General Nakar, Quezon, and Tanay, Rizal.
A 28-kilometer-long conveyance tunnel will be built from the dam site in Barangay Magsaysay in Infanta, Quezon through several barangays in Tanay, Baras, Morong and Teresa towns in Rizal.