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- The businessmen accepted his apology and are willing to cooperate with the government in hopes of improving the current situation.
The country’s top businessmen decided to accept the apology of President Rodrigo Duterte for attacking them with curses and threatening to shoot them and to cancel their water contracts.
“There may be legal issues, but I’m ready to talk and I’ll be reasonable. ‘Yung mga masakit kong talk to Ayalas and Pangilinan, I apologize for the hurting words. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me,” he said.
“I’d like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping us provide the necessities of the moment.”
On May 5, Jaime Augusto and Fernando Zobel de Ayala released a joint statement saying that they are grateful for Duterte’s remarks and apology in his recent state address.
“We have always believed in building a strong partnership between the private and public sectors in addressing our country’s problems and in investing in the country to create jobs and improve the lives of Filipinos,” the tycoons said.
“We are committed to helping the President tackle the many challenges he has to deal with and are confident that by working together, our country can overcome each challenge, save lives, and gradually put the country back on a path of growth.”
Manny Pangilinan also thanked the president for his promise to be “nice” and discuss the legal issues of Maynilad Water Services.
I would like to thank the President for his remarks tonight, most especially for his sincerity and kindness.
— Manny V. Pangilinan (@iamMVP) May 4, 2020
“I wish to assure him that our group is fully committed to being a partner of government in addressing the heartbreaking moments of COVID-19 on our people, in building a better tomorrow for them. We are, and have always been here, for the country,” he said in a tweet.
I wish to assure him that our Group is fully committed to being a partner of Govt in addressing the heartbreaking moments of Covid 19 on our people, in building a better tomorrow for them. We are, and have always been here, for the country.
— Manny V. Pangilinan (@iamMVP) May 4, 2020
Early December last year, the president threatened to file a plunder case against the Metro Manila water concessionaire companies Manila Water and Maynilad.
