said, urging the governm€nt to cancel the water concessionaires' contmcts and take over their op€ration. He said that water a natural resource should never be privatized and given to big business vrhose sole priority is profit. The former Envirotrment and Nat- LIKE a man consuned by his own ural ResourcBs Secr€tary under then mission to wage war against corPo- President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo rate greed, Buhay Party Liat ReP. vowed to pursue his case against Ma- Lito Atienza is relentless in his cam- nila Water when Congress resumes its paign to make the water comPany session in November. He found an ally concessionaires comply with the in Senator Sherwin Gatchalisn wbo is Clean Water Act. This, after one ma- now espousing the cause for a water jor newspaper banner headlined his treatment facility. case against concessionaire Manila Water while the other dailies also ran the story on their front pages. Atienza is aghast that insGad of li corporot, greed complying with the Supreme Court order to implement the clean sewage exemplified, he saYs.ll component in their contract as gonc€s- sionaires, Manila Water is now threat- ening consumers with higher rates. Atienza also said Manila \[ater has 'This is the height ofarrogance ifnot been collecting money from consum- downright insensitivity," fumed Atien- ers and business €stablishmerts for za, suggesting that th* higb court cite wCstewatgr tr€atment for the past 22 Matrila Water in contempt and double years aside frorn the rcgular fees for its Pl.8-billion fine for attempting to water consumption. Manila Water had pass on their fne to consumers, enough time to construct a waste wa- "Ib increase"its raes bD, 780 perc€d is ter treatment frcility as stipulated in its corporae greed exemplifie{" said Atien- concessionaire contract-but did not. za. Neglect to sepamte tmic anrd chemical whv? wa$€ from wder sewage is halming tle So, where did that water treatment e,nvircnrnent as he pointed out the fi$kill money go? Probably to other Ayala in las Pinas and Faranaque. proj€cts with a fasfer r€tum on invest- Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic ment. We hope not, because that would Resources officials who inspected the be to the detriment of its aotual pur. dead fish washed ashore.said the cause pose for a wastewater treatment frcil- was not dynamite fishing but plain and ity, which is for the good of commu- pure pollution.. nities nationwide. What is happening "Manila Bay is now one big cess- now is that both Manila Bay and La- pool," said Atienza, adding that no guna de Bay have become big rec€pta- amount of cleanup will turn the tide cles for ioxic waste and other garbage around and restore it to its lormer pris- that result in fishkill and other diseases tine condition. that rake their toll on the people. Is it Atienza said Manila Water has the any wonder tlat polio is back-after an fun<is to connect pipes to a water treat- absence ofthree decades, with dengue ment faciliry It did not do. this. And yet and the African Swine Fevdr adding to the Ayalas who operate Manila Water the people's problems? have the funds for their other busi- Indeed, one business company's ne- ness ventures like condominiums and glect is the whole country's misery. shopping malls. If operating a'conces- Thankfully, we have legislators like sionaire and distributing water to thou- Lito Atienza looking after our wel- sands cif households is not profitable, fare. May his and Senator Sherwin then they should get out of it, Atienza Gatchalian's tribe incr€ase.