Bato urges PBBM to appoint a LWUA administrator; warns water shortage may spark Marawi siege 2
Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Wednesday, October 19 urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to appoint an administrator for the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) to start and expedite the completion of pending water projects in Marawi City.
Dela Rosa made the call after LWUA Officer-in-charge Eileen Dela Vega disclosed that the lack of a full-time LWUA administrator contributed to the delays in the restoration of water supply in the war-torn city of Marawi.
The senator warned failure to address the water supply problem in the city could lead to unrest and extremists may exploit it to convince residents of Marawi to turn against the government.
“The situation is very ripe and may be exploited by extremists to radicalize people in Marawi. We might have another war because of water,” Dela Rosa said during the Senate finance subcommittee’s deliberation of the proposed 2023 budget of the LWUA.
“What we need is water right away,” said Dela Rosa, who chairs the Special Committee on Marawi Rehabilitation.
Sen. Robin Padilla earlier questioned Dela Vega about the water supply in Marawi City as he vowed to scrutinize the agency’s proposed budget for 2023.
Dela Vega said that while they can resolve earlier challenges with water projects in Marawi, the lack of a full-time LWUA administrator has made it difficult for them to push through with the agency’s other projects in the city.
She explained limitations to her capacity as interim LWUA head slowed down the approval of the agreement with the Philippine Army (PA) for the undertaking.
It is the PA that manages the property eyed for the water project.