Here is a situation near MCWD on Tuesday morning, April 16. | Contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Amid the water crisis in Cebu City, the end for the dispute between the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) and the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) remains a blur.
In a statement released by the MCWD on Tuesday, April 16, the water district “condemns” for the “brazen actions” taken by the LWUA, its interim board, the Cebu City Hall, and the LWUA-appointed officer-in-charge general manager, Lawyer John Dx Lapid.
The water district said that around 10 p.m. on April 15, Lapid and his cohorts from the Cebu City Hall entered the MCWD building, harassing the security personnel and forcibly gaining access to the manager’s office.
“This invasion of our offices, the locking of entrances, and the forcible opening of the General Manager’s Office, represent a flagrant disregard for law and order,” the MCWD said.
Apart from that, Lapid and his company have also reportedly barricaded and cordoned off MCWD’s office premises.
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The MCWD said that they will not tolerate “such uncivilized, irresponsible, and deplorable acts.”
“We refuse to passively accept such egregious violations. We will pursue all available avenues, including legal recourse, to restore normal operations at our main office and hold those accountable for these acts of chaos and disruption to the full extent of the law,” the water district added.
With the recent turn of events, the MCWD had requested their consumers to refrain from visiting their office.
Yesterday, Lapid was barred from entering the MCWD building. He stayed inside his car and was not able to park it in the building’s basement.
He did not remove his vehicle at the entrance of the parking area until noon, leaving some MCWD employees, including the board of directors (BOD) at a discomfort.
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But at 12:32 p.m. Lapid was eventually allowed to enter the building and work at his designated office at the Customer Care Division.
Moreover, later that afternoon, Lapid got inside the building after he reportedly sought the assistance of the Cebu City government headed by Lawyers Jerone Castillo and Collin Rosell, and with the LWUA.
According to the report of Cebu City News, Rosell, who serves as the city administrator, said that he and City Hall personnel assisted Lapid after he and LWUA wrote separate letters to request for security.
“Hasta mismo ang LWUA, nangayo na og tabang. So, kung mangayo gani og tabang, kung unsa’y mahitabo ana, liable ta kay naa man ta sa panerbisyo. So, dili ta kaingon nga atong biyaan,” Rosell said.
(Even LWUA themselves, ask for help. So, if someone asks for help, if something will happen to them, we are liable for that because we are in the business of serving. So, we cannot say that we will just leave them.)
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Rosell said that their presence at the MCWD building did not mean to disrupt the regular operations there.
Meanwhile, Lapid confirmed to the Cebu City information office that LWUA asked him to seek the help from the City Hall so he could enter the MCWD building.
Road closure
The Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO), has released a traffic advisory on Tuesday, April 16, following the recent events that occurred among the MCWD, LWUA, and the Cebu City Hall.
The CCTO said that Lapulapu Street and Magallanes Extension will be “will be temporarily closed until further notice.”
All consumers of MCWD are advised to proceed to the on-street parking along P. Burgos and MC Briones Sts. while the water district personnel and their service vehicles may access the building through Lapulapu Street entrance only.
The CCTO added that PUJs that will traverse Lapulapu Street were directed to proceed to MJ Cuenco Avenue and would have to take Osmeña Blvd. back to their destination route.
CDN Digital already reached out to Lapid, but as of writing, he has not yet responded.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for the latest updates. | with reports from Cebu City News and Information