MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte is willing to meet and talk with the two Metro Manila water concessionaires to settle the dispute over allegedly onerous water contracts, but he said it has to be in public. Duterte again railed against Manila Water Co., a subsidiary of the Ayala family’s Ayala Corp., and the Manny Pangilinan-led Maynilad Water Services over the disadvantageous water deal in his speech at the 2020 General Assembly of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines on Tuesday night. Millions [of pesos are involved].”The two firms supply water to Metro Manila and nearby provinces under 25-year concession deals signed in 1997 during the Ramos administration. READ: Duterte threatens water execs, orders new dealsDuterte also threatened to let the government take over water distribution services if the concessionaires would refuse to accept the new water deals. Duterte and Pangilinan crossed paths in an event last week where the President supposedly set a meeting with the tycoon “soon.”ADVERTISEMENTREAD: Duterte wants to set meeting with Manny Pangilinan ‘soon’/atm

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer March 10, 2020 15:22 UTC