THE public utilities committee warned of an investigation apparently in aid of legislation over the contaminated water, not just singling out a certain town, but the whole of the province.
“It is mandatorily necessary that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of this province also conduct a local investigation as this concerns the availability of clean, potable and safe water– a basic human right– that is consumed by the general public, its chairman Board Member Aldner Damalerio said in his privilege speech recently during the regular session.
This came as a reaction to “complaints of unclean water is being referenced in one of the Bohol towns particularly the town of Balilihan.”
“This alleged contamination in our water system is a very serious health situation, Mr. Chair, as drinking water that is contaminated with e Coli is an enormous health issue especially when it is consumed by the general public,” he said.
The Senate has urged the Department of Health (DOH) to investigate the contaminated water supply in Balilihan, Bohol during the joint committee hearing the other day, Senate videoed hearing showed.
Senator Raffy Tulfo, who was one of the Senate panel in said committee hearing, initiated the move in a bid to make the contaminated and untidy water supply in said town drinkable.
As a result, the top health officials who attended the said hearing vowed to look into the water mess in Balilihan and will coordinate with health officials in region 7 where Bohol belongs.
Tulfo said that the said probe into the water mess in Balilihan was prompted based on the complaints of concerned residents of said town badly affected by the water contamination.
Tulfo also asked DOH to issue advisory on the contaminated water so the people may know.
Senator Pia Cayetano who led the said hearing said there’s a need for this advisory so the people may know and understand the quality of water they’re using.
The Senate’s joint committees on Sustainable Development Goals and Public Services and Local Government, Health and Demography conducted the said committee hearing.
Tulfo, in radio interview over DyRD, was able to persuade the provincial health officer Dr. Reymoses Cabagnot to divulge the water test result in Balilihan water system. The latter in same live radio interview refused to make public the result of the water allegedly positive with E-coli.
Cabagnot said he cannot reveal to the public the laboratory test water result without sanction by the higher ups or from Gov. Aris Aumentado. The interview called up the governor and right there and then the governor ordered to disclose the said water result.
It will be recalled that BM Lucille Lagunay also bared in her privilege speech earlier the real score of drinking water in the province supplied by water refilling stations.
Based on the study of her office, Lagunay said that there were “no records on water retail systems failing to pass their bacteriological test at month-end would sum up more than 30% of non-compliance.”
She said that half of the retail water stations in first district were compliant of the water test but non-compliant still persisted. (rvo)
