Here is the situation near the MCWD on Tuesday morning, April 16. | Contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — “There is no such thing as breach,” in the MCWD said Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama during the Ingna’ng Mayor on Sugboanong Channel on Tuesday, April 16.
This is after the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) announced a security breach happening in their main office that allegedly caused “confusion and fear” to MCWD’s employees.
In a statement released by the MCWD on Tuesday, the water district “condemns” the “brazen actions” taken by the Local Water Utilities (LWUA), its interim board, the Cebu City Hall, and the LWUA-appointed officer-in-charge general manager, Lawyer John Dx Lapid.
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The water district said that at around 10 p.m. on April 15, Lapid and some Cebu City Hall personnel 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.
However, Rama disputed this, saying they followed the rule of law.
“LWUA should govern and the law is on their side, and the law is on my side,” the mayor said.
He emphasized that there is nothing personal and it is all about service.
Rama added that LWUA and the city government should be allowed to enter the office to get things done.
“Pasudla lagi na kay trabahoon namo na tanan,” he said.
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Meanwhile, the MCWD had requested their consumers to refrain from visiting their offices.
“We kindly request our consumers to refrain from visiting our office and urge our paying consumers to make use of our collection centers instead,” the MCWD said in their statement.
The Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) released a traffic advisory on the same day 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,” and advised clients to proceed to MJ Cuenco Avenue back to their destination route.