Police in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, have arrested 77-year-old engineer and former water district chairman Even Calajate on perjury charges. The arrest stems from his Senate testimony criticizing a joint venture involving PrimeWater and the Robes family. Consumer groups have condemned the move as an attack on critics.
On February 11, 2026, police in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, arrested 77-year-old engineer Even Calajate, a vocal critic of PrimeWater Infrastructure Corporation and the Robes political family. According to the Alliance for Consumer Protection (ACP), Calajate remained at the city police station following the arrest, which was based on a warrant issued on February 9 by Pasay City Judge Maria Luwalhati Carandang Cruz.
The perjury charges arose from Calajate's testimony during a Senate inquiry into PrimeWater's alleged shortcomings. He stated there that San Jose del Monte Mayor Rida Robes and her husband, Representative Arthur Robes, acted as "promoters" of a flawed joint venture agreement signed in 2018, when Arthur was mayor. Calajate and former councilor Irene del Rosario noted that city hall disregarded consumer complaints even as PrimeWater's service declined.
Following a Rappler report in April 2025 that featured an interview with Calajate, Rida Robes announced an investigation into the deal and later its termination. The complainants against Calajate are five individuals who claimed his statements disrupted their pursuit of accountability.
In his counter-affidavit submitted in November 2025, Calajate wrote: "What a very shallow statement to charge a man and to impute perjury."
Del Rosario had previously been arrested on cyber libel charges for her criticisms of the Robes couple. The ACP and Water for the People Network (WPN) condemned the arrest, drawing parallels to Del Rosario's detention years earlier while she was in a session hall. The groups highlighted it as part of the impunity enjoyed by high officials, political dynasties, and large businesses amid systemic corruption.
Rappler has documented PrimeWater's widespread failures across the country, including unpaid suppliers and contractors, and attempts by water districts to end contracts that were blocked by injunctions. In December 2025, the Villar family sold PrimeWater to the Lucio Co group's Crystal Bridges.
