San Fernando, Pampanga Mayor Vilma Caluag appeals to the brand new homeowners: ‘Palayain [‘nyo na] kami, pakawalan [‘nyo na] kami. Nagmamakaawa ako.’
MANILA, Philippines – Acquisition by one other tycoon.
That’s the response of the troubled PrimeWater to mounting grievances by its hundreds of thousands of customers who now name the Villar-led firm “crime water.”
The Villar group confirmed on Tuesday, December 16, that 100% of PrimeWater had been acquired by Crystal Bridges Holding Company, the funding agency of Puregold tycoon Lucio Co. Crystal Bridges is owned by Co’s youngsters, with Puregold inheritor Vincent Co as chairman and president, based on the corporate’s 2025 common data sheet.
“Crystal Bridges Holding Company of the Lucio Co Group has entered into definitive agreements for the acquisition of 100% of PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp,” the Villar group mentioned in a press release Tuesday.
Crystal Bridges will take over in the midst of a number of investigations and native governments eager to preterminate all around the nation.
On the bottom in Bacolod Metropolis, customers are pissed off by the sale.
“Now that PrimeWater is in sizzling water, it’s merely being bought to a different personal entity. Is that this the answer? The place is the accountability? Will PrimeWater be allowed to stroll away with out penalties? Is that this one more try to idiot the Bacolodnons?” the Bacolod Metropolis Water District Workers Union mentioned in a press release.
Bacolod Metropolis simply averted a significant water disaster this weekend. PrimeWater had not paid three months of excellent payments to its water provider, and the subcontractor had threatened to chop the water line. Emergency negotiations led to a clutch dedication by PrimeWater to pay on Saturday, December 13, or a day after the deadline.
PrimeWater not paying its subcontractors shouldn’t be an remoted incident as Rappler had reported on one other contractor concerned in at the very least two water districts. Senator Raffy Tulfo, chair of the Senate public works committee investigating PrimeWater’s failure of obligations in at the very least half of its almost 80 three way partnership agreements, had additionally cited one other case of an unpaid contractor.
San Fernando, Pampanga Mayor Vilma Caluag appealed to the Co group, the brand new homeowners: “Palayain na nila kami, pakawalan na nila kami, nagmamakaawa ako sa kanila, para naman mabawasan naman ang challenges namin sa siyudad ng San Fernando,” the mayor instructed Rappler over a cellphone name Tuesday night.
(Free us, allow us to go, I’m begging them, so we might cut back the challenges we face right here in San Fernando.)
Caluag unilaterally suspended PrimeWater’s enterprise allow in her metropolis, which is now being pitched as a blueprint for different localities that need out of the 25-year deal. The water district, which is beneath the Native Water Utilities Administration, had additionally preterminated the contract, based on Caluag. However PrimeWater’s method has all the time been to take to courtroom whoever makes an attempt to interrupt free, and “more often than not,” they win, mentioned Tulfo throughout a Senate listening to.
Caluag mentioned PrimeWater had been allowed three catch-up plans in San Fernando, however companies didn’t enhance. Since doing a full offensive on PrimeWater, Caluag mentioned the constituents have skilled some aid in water companies.
“Ayaw na naming magkasuhan, wala naman kaming ibubuga kapag kasuhan na. Sana palayain na lang nila kami, makapag-move on na kami, at makapagtrabaho na kami ng maayos.” (We don’t desire a authorized battle anymore, we don’t stand an opportunity. So, I hope they allow us to go so we will transfer on, and we will get to work.)
Earlier than this acquisition, PrimeWater was wholly owned by Prime Asset Ventures of Manuel Paolo Villar, the son of former senator Manny Villar, and brother of senators Mark Villar and Camille Villar. It was in the course of the time of Mark Villar as secretary of the Division of Public Works and Highways beneath the Duterte administration when PrimeWater quickly grew, growing its three way partnership agreements by five-fold. From 15 JVAs by the top of 2015, they now have 77 JVAs nationwide.
Half have been eager to forfeit PrimeWater’s efficiency bond, based on Rappler’s evaluation of audit studies, and half have been eager to preterminate the contracts, based on Tulfo’s survey of its accomplice water districts.
Kabataan Consultant Renee Co instructed Rappler in an earlier interview that PrimeWater beneath Villar needs to be criminally investigated “for estafa, syndicated estafa, and graft, if officers are concerned.”
“The federal government ought to freeze belongings and require efficiency bonds to verify contractors, water districts, and customers receives a commission and guarded,” mentioned Co. – Rappler.com
