MANILA - Sen. Cynthia Villar on Friday urged Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu to "force" water concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad to shoulder the cost of siphoning services of their customers, saying consumers are also being charged for water treatment.

Twenty percent of all water bills go to environmental charges for waste water treatment, Villar said during the Department of Environment and Natural Resources budget hearing in the Senate.

"Puwersahin ninyo ang Maynilad at Manila Water na anuhin nila 'yung waste water. We're paying for that," said Villar, who chairs the Senate Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change

(You should force Maynilad and Manila Water to do something about the waste water. We're paying for that.)

"'Pag na-over[flow] 'yung kanilang septic bowls, it's the responsibility of Maynilad and Manila Water to get it kasi we're paying for our waste water treatment," she said.

(If septic bowls overflow, it's the responsibility of Maynilad and Manila Water to get it because we're paying for our waste water treatment.)

While some companies are exclusively designed to provide declogging and siphoning services, these entities usually dump waste water in rivers without treating it in sewage treatment plants (STP), the senator said.

"Itong STP na ito responsibility ng Maynilad at Manila Water," Villar said.

(These STPs are the responsibility of Maynilad and Manila Water.)

"Si Maynilad and Manila Water, dapat dalhin nila 'yun sa waste water treatment facilities nila," she said.

(Maynila and Manila Water are supposed to take these to their waste water treatment facilities.)

Villar's family owns Prime Water, another water concessionaire operating in 124 cities and municipalities in the Philippines.

The senator did not mention in the hearing if her family's water company has been shouldering siphoning services for their customers.