THE Richli Corporation has confirmed that an unforeseen technical breakdown of its water treatment plant in barangay Patrocinio, Cortes town has caused its eventual shutdown, affecting their consumers it supplied.
“We regret to inform the public that our water treatment plant in Cortes, Bohol has experienced an unforeseen and extraordinary technical breakdown. Our team of engineers is diligently working to restore operations at the earliest possible time,” its press statement said.
Richli’s spokesman Elmer Lim said in an interview that the company’s engineering team has already restored the normal operations of the plant after the corrective measures have been instituted.
He brushed aside the insinuation that the Malingin spring, the source of its water supply where the treatment plant is also located, has dried up. He admitted, however, that the dry spell has affected the water source.
Aside from this scenario, the corporation, the private bulk clean water supplier in Bohol, alleged that “possible sabotage at our treat plant” may not be remote, he said.
“However, in the past few days, we have been receiving threats from powerful politicians in Bohol, which have posed serious risks to our operations. Due to these threats, we are not ruling out the possibility of sabotage at our plant,” it said.
But he said the company did not name names of who were probably behind the alleged sabotage, nor did he explain why the company came up with the said allegation.
He said that there were personalities of a certain politician he did not name who reacted when the news of shutdown came out.
Lim said that the company is calling its consumers and the public “to report any suspicious activity around our water treatment plant and distribution system.”
“This facility is the only modern water system plant in Bohol and supplies water to our international airport and other vital facilities, in Panglao island, the premier tourist island in Bohol.
Meanwhile, the company has just signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Alburquerque town, about 12 kms from capital Tagbilaran City, for the former to supply water to the latter.
Alburquerque town Mayor Dondon Buates lauded the said move for water supply in bulk but the town is the one who’ll distribute to its consumers. He said that the water supply from Richli as it is already treated and ready to drink and cost P30/cubic meter. He said this is far better than buying a bottle of mineral water at P15 or P20 at retail. (Ric Obedencio)
