Senator Mark Villar on Thursday denied that his family benefited from government contracts during his time as secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under the Duterte administration.
This came after Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla confirmed that Villar, along with his sister Senator Camille Villar and their mother former Senator Cynthia Villar, is under investigation over reported ties to a Las Piñas-based contractor that secured ₱18.5 billion worth of projects.
“Let me be unequivocal: I have no direct or indirect ownership or controlling interest in any company participating in DPWH projects. The official record will confirm that none of my relatives acquired any contracts from 2016 to 2021, during my tenure as Secretary,” the senator said.
Villar added he welcomes the probe, saying he has “nothing to hide” and believes in accountability and due process.
Remulla earlier said Villar has a first cousin who is a contractor, which he described as a “prohibited interest.”
Villar served as DPWH chief from 2016 to 2021, when his mother Cynthia was a senator and his sister Camille represented Las Piñas in Congress starting in 2019.
The senator stressed that his leadership at DPWH was anchored on transparency, citing reforms such as right-of-way acquisition procedures and geotagging of projects. He said he supports the investigation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure.
