(NI ABBY MENDOZA)

NANGANNGAMBA si Buhay Partylist Rep. Lito Atienza na mababalewala lamang ang rehabilitasyon sa Manila Bay kung hindi titiyakin ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) na maipatutupad ang kautusan ng Korte Suprema na maglagay ng sewer lines.

“Money will just go down the drain until Manila Water, Maynilad put up sewer lines as ordered by Supreme Court. Nothing has changed. Right now, the bulk of Metro Manila’s raw sewage, including those from households, still drain into the Pasig River and other waterways that all empty out into Manila Bay,”paliwanag ni Atienza.

Ayon kay Atienza, nasa P1.35B ang makukuha ng DENR- Operational Plan for the Manila Bay Coastal Management Strategy sa susunud na taon para sa rehabilitasyon ng coastal and marine ecosystem ng Manila Bay subalit kung walang gagawin na sewer lines ay babalik din muli ito sa dati.

“Malacañang really has to crack the whip on the two water concessionaires that have been defying the Clean Water Act, otherwise, all our efforts to fully restore Manila Bay, which still functions like a vast septic tank, will be without real success,” giit pa nito.

Matatandaan na sa 2009 ruling ng SC ay pinagbabayad nito ng P1.84B bilang multa ang Manila Water at Maynilad gayundin ang  Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System sa hindi nito paglalagay ng sewage lines na paglabag na Clean Water Act.

Giit ni Atienza na dapat ipatupad ang kautusan ng SC dahil.kung magkakaroon ng  sariling sewer lines ay nakatitiyak na wala nang maruming tubig ang maitatapon sa Manila bay.