Duterte: Concessionaires committed economic plunder

The President claims the concessionaires passed corporate income tax to the Filipino people. #economicplunder

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday expressed doubt in getting a compromise with water concessionaires Maynilad and Manila Water as they committed economic plunder in their irregular contracts.

“They say na, ‘aregluhin natin.’ How? How will I compromise? That’s plunder. That is the classic economic plunder,” Duterte said in a speech he delivered after administering the oath of newly appointed generals and flag officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and star-rank officers of the Philippine National Police at the Rizal Hall in Malacañang.

“The fact alone all these years we were paying a fee para sa water treatment which never came to be all these years, corporate income tax was passed on to the Filipino people,” the President added. “‘Pag pinapabayad mo ang Pilipino sa income tax mo, binaligtad mo ang Pilipino, harap-harapan.”