Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Tuesday that rebates should be imposed on the concessionaire Manila Water after their customers in east zone of Metro Manila struggled with weak supply last week.

"The lightest penalty is rebate, the lowest is rebate," Sotto told the reporters.

"They should admit that when you mean rebate, it's the same as penalty or a fine," he added.

During the Senate hearing, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) chief regulator Patrick Ty explained they can impose fines and penalty on the water concessionaire, a seeming departure from his statement during the House probe on Monday.

Ty added that MWSS is studying the penalty which will be charged to Manila Water. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS