Former Loboc Mayor Leon Calipusan has criticized Richli Loctob Waters and municipal councilor Erwin Bacquial over the alleged sale of the town’s water supply to other municipalities without providing benefits to Loboc residents.
In a Facebook post, Calipusan accused the company of extracting water from Loboc and selling it elsewhere while refusing to pay even a minimal amount to the local government.
He claimed that the Loboc LGU requested a fee of P2 per cubic meter for municipal use and P1 for barangays where water is sourced, but the company allegedly rejected the arrangement.
“Mga Lobocanon, atong tubig gikuha pero wala tay makuha! (Our water is taken, but we get nothing!),” Calipusan wrote, calling for public awareness and action.
The former mayor also alleged that Bacquial, a municipal councilor, sided with Richli instead of supporting Loboc’s interests.
He criticized popular personalities, including broadcaster Ted Ayeng and FB member Willy Ramasola, for allegedly spreading misinformation about the issue.
Calipusan insisted that his concerns were not politically motivated but rather a fight for the town’s resources.
“Dili ni politika, kundili ang atong kinabuhi ug kinabuhi sa atong mga anak! (This is not politics; this is about our lives and the lives of our children!),” he said.
Meanwhile, Calipusan and Ramasola have engaged in a heated exchange over the controversial water extraction and distribution policies involving Richli Loctob Waters.
Calipusan previously accused Richli of taking water from Loboc and selling it to other towns without compensating the local government.
He also criticized municipal councilor Erwin Bacquial for allegedly supporting the company instead of prioritizing the welfare of Loboc residents.
However, Ramasola refuted Calipusan’s claims, saying the former mayor was misleading the public regarding the water extraction fee ordinance.
“Gibirahan ko ni Leon Calipusan, former Mayor of Loboc, kay gakalat kuno ko ug bakak kay binayran ko sa Richli Water,” Ramasola said. (Leon Calipusan attacked me, claiming I spread lies because I was allegedly paid by Richli Water.)
Ramasola said Calipusan claimed that the P3 per cubic meter extraction fee imposed by the Loboc LGU would only apply to water transported outside Loboc, exempting local residents from charges.
However, after reviewing the ordinance, Ramasola insisted that no such exemption exists.
“Akong gibasa pero wala may nakabutang na exemption sa Php3 pesos extraction fee para sa mga Lobocanon,” Ramasola said. (I read it, but there is no exemption from the P3 extraction fee for Loboc residents.)
“So Mr. Leon Calipusan, kinsa may gakalat ug bakak? Ako o ikaw?” (So, Mr. Leon Calipusan, who is really spreading lies? Me or you?)