LAS Piñas Lone District Rep. Mark Anthony Santos on Sunday questioned whether Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez had become the Villar family’s spokesperson after publicly claiming that the family would donate the land needed for the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) Cavite Extension Project despite the absence of any signed agreement or official document supporting such a claim.
Santos said Lopez’s statement, made during a radio interview last Thursday, appeared to echo the Villar family’s narrative instead of presenting verified government records.
“Is Acting Secretary Lopez now serving as the Villar family’s spokesperson? If the government is making such a serious claim, it should be backed by a signed agreement or official document—not mere assurances,” Santos said.
The lawmaker stressed that government officials have a duty to rely on documentary evidence, particularly on a multibillion-peso infrastructure project that has been delayed for years because of unresolved right-of-way issues.
“If there is indeed a formal commitment from the Villar family to donate the property, then the Department of Transportation should immediately make the document public. The Filipino people deserve transparency, not unsupported statements,” Santos added.
Santos reiterated his challenge to Lopez to produce any memorandum of agreement, deed of donation, or other legally binding document proving that the Villar family has formally committed to donating the land required for the LRT-1 Cavite Extension.
“Until such a document is presented, the public has every reason to question these claims,” he said.
Santos said the issue goes beyond the reported donation and instead concerns the government’s obligation to be transparent and truthful about the status of one of the country’s most important transport infrastructure projects.
He noted that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently directed Lopez to immediately resolve the remaining right-of-way issues affecting the ₱64.915-billion LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project, underscoring that the government’s right-of-way acquisition has yet to be completed.
“If the right-of-way issue has truly been resolved through a donation, then the DOTr should have no difficulty presenting the signed documents. If no such document exists, then the public deserves to know why government officials are making definitive statements without documentary proof,” Santos said.
The assistant majority floor leader added that transparency is essential to restoring public confidence and ensuring that the long-delayed project is finally completed.
The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) has committed to completing the entire LRT-1 Cavite Extension before the end of President Marcos’ term in 2028.
Phase 1 of the project, which is now operational, extends the line from Baclaran Station in Pasay City to Dr. Santos Station in Parañaque City through five stations: Redemptorist-ASEANA, MIA Road, PITX, Ninoy Aquino Avenue, and Dr. Santos.
The remaining Cavite segment—covering the Las Piñas, Zapote, and Niog stations under Phases 2 and 3—has yet to proceed because of unresolved right-of-way issues. Santos said these are the very issues the DOTr is expected to resolve and document before making public declarations that the required properties will be donated.
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