DAVAO CITY – Mayor Sebastian Duterte said he is “genuinely sorry” to a netizen who he humiliated on social media for complaining about the emergency water service interruptions after Dabawenyos reported him to Hotline “8888.”
Duterte, during his program over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) on Friday, said that Dabawenyos reported him to “8888,” the government hotline where citizens can lodge their “complaints, grievances, requests and express their needs, perceptions, and aspirations addressed to government agencies, officers, and employees.”
The mayor said that Tiara Ramboanga reached out and apologized to him after he posted on his social media account a screenshot of the message captioned “Sunday vibes,” which contained the exchange between him and Ramboanga.
“Most livable city pa ba ta mayor? (Are we still the most livable city, mayor?) When we have to check in to hotels for a bath on wash rate may untag ireimburse nimo (good if you would reimburse it). When we have to curse but still no water was supplied in our street in our subdivision. What are your plans?” she said.
Ramboanga, who suggested to get rid of the city’s tourism slogan “Davao Life is Here,” criticized the mayor for his alleged lack of action to the problem.
She said the city is no longer “livable” after he took over as the local chief executive.
In his reply, Duterte, who felt disrespected, clapped back and called the netizen “stupid” for criticizing him.
“Ingon ana gyud ka kabulok nga tan aw nimo nagka problema ug tubig diha tungod sa duha ka bulan nako nga nilingkod kong mayor? Ingon ana gyud ka kabulok nga tan aw nimo wala nako ni ginapangutana sa DCWD ug Apo Agua? Maayong adlaw maam. God bless you (Are you that stupid to think that the problem of lack of water happened because of the two months that I assumed as mayor? Are you that stupid to think that I did not ask DCWD and Apo Agua about this? Good day, Ma’am.),” he said.
Duterte said he did not expect Ramboanga to apologize.
“Actually, wala nako ni gina-expect ni pero nangayo sya og pasaylo. Pero actually, dili gyud sya necessary (I did not expect this but she asked for apology. But it’s not really necessary). Actually, I will take all the blame, and between you and me, Ms. Tiara, I am profoundly sorry if I caused you any form of harm or pain… I am genuinely sorry for what I did,” he said.
In an advisory dated September 16, the Davao City Water District reported some electrical wirings were damaged and needed replacement, causing the disruption in the operation of some facilities.
Last September 26, JC Duhaylungsod, spokesperson for DCWD, told Kapehan sa Dabaw that areas in the city that continue to experience low to no water pressure were expected to get better water supply once Apo Agua Infrastructura Inc. starts supplying water to the local utility.
May Che Capili, external relations officer of the Apo Agua Infrastructura, said that the company eyes to start supplying water to DCWD within the first quarter of 2023 after a delay of two years in the completion of the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project (DCBWSP).
Capili reiterated Apo Agua’s commitment to supplying around 300 million liters of treated water to DCWD after Dabawenyos complained of lack of water supply in several parts of the city in the previous days.
“The target delivery for the first optic point to the water district (DCWD) in Tugbok is the first quarter of 2023,” she said.
She said target supply delivery from other optic points or water reservoirs such as Calinan, Talandang, Mandug, Indangan, Cabantian, Panacan, and Dumoy is expected by the second quarter of next year. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
