Senator Mark Villar on Saturday denied having any ownership or controlling interest in PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp., amid renewed scrutiny over the company’s joint venture agreements (JVAs) with various local water districts.
“I wish to take this opportunity to clarify that I have no direct or indirect ownership or controlling interest in Primewater,” Villar said in a statement.
The senator issued the clarification after Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro reported that JVAs involving PrimeWater increased in 2019, at a time when the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) was still an attached agency of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Villar served as DPWH Secretary from 2016 to 2021 under thDuterte administration. He resigned in to run for Senate in the 2022 elections.
PrimeWater, a private water service provider, is owned by the Villar family.
“During my tenure as Secretary of Public Works, I did not participate in any capacity whatsoever in any transactions or potential transactions between PrimeWater and any of its partner districts,” the senator added.
Despite the family ties, Villar emphasized that his focus at the DPWH had been on implementing public infrastructure projects.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier ordered an investigation into the operations of PrimeWater due to numerous service-related complaints.
A resolution has been filed in the House of Representatives seeking an inquiry into the JVAs entered into by PrimeWater and local water districts.
