LAS Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos yesterday refuted the Villar family’s claim that the prolonged delay in the multibillion-peso LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project is solely due to complex right-of-way (ROW) issues.
Villar-owned companies Fine Properties Inc. and Villar Land Holdings, Inc. denied causing the delay, saying they had voluntarily offered to donate the properties needed for the project to accelerate construction and avoid lengthy expropriation proceedings.
However, Santos maintained that the project’s delay stems from the failure to finalize the proposed Right-of-Way Usage Agreement (ROWUA), which remains unsigned despite repeated directives from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to resolve the project’s bottlenecks.
According to Santos, officials of the DOTr, the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), the Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), and representatives of the Villar Group held several official meetings from September 2021 to June 2025 to finalize the proposed ROWUA.
Despite these discussions, the agreement has yet to be signed, preventing the government from proceeding with the revised alignment of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project, he pointed out.
“Imagine, a single family can delay—or even derail—a project that would benefit millions of ordinary Filipinos and taxpayers. We have documentary evidence o resibo showing that this government project has been repeatedly delayed,” Santos said.
The LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project has been in development for decades, spanning the administrations of former Presidents Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Benigno Aquino III, Rodrigo Duterte, and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. The unresolved issues have affected Phase 2 of the ₱64.915-billion project, which covers the Las Piñas and Zapote stations.
Santos also cited a two-page letter from DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez to Cynthia J. Javarez, president of Fine Properties Inc. and Golden MV Holdings, Inc., stating that despite continued coordination and good-faith efforts by the government, the landowners (Villar Group) have yet to approve the draft ROWUA needed to formalize their commitment to donate the property at no cost to the government.
Senators Mark and Camille Villar are reportedly blocking the continuation of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) extension project in Cavite, according to Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla.
Quoting allegations raised during the controversy, Remulla said: “There’s an alignment in Sucat, Parañaque where the project stopped because they allegedly want it along C-5, where they have properties.”
He further alleged that the original alignment may have been affected by proposals involving alternative routes. “Gusto nila dumaan sa lupa nila kasi may alignment na ‘yan doon sa Sucat. Doon tinigil nila… gusto nila itaas sa C-5 kung saan may lupa sila,” he added.
Remulla also raised concerns about possible influence within the legislative process, noting that the investigation is ongoing. The Villar siblings denied Remullla’s allegations.
In August 2023, Villar is eyeing a takeover of these last three stations, beyond which he proposes building seven more stops, extending the line all the way to Governor’s Drive in Dasmariñas, Cavite, via Molino.
Villar owns a vast land bank in Las Piñas and Cavite under his 3,500-hectare Villar City. This would enable him to construct the succeeding phases of the project via Molino Road, instead of Aguinaldo Highway.
In August last year, Villar Land Holdings Corp. and its top officials were listed and fined a total of P12 million by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for failing to submit its 2024 annual report and first-quarter report for 2025.
In an order dated Aug. 18, the SEC Markets and Securities Regulation Department (MSRD) issued the maximum P1-million administrative fine each against Villar Land and 11 officials, totaling P12 million, in lieu of suspending the company’s registration statement and permit to offer and sell securities.
In February this year, the SEC filed a criminal complaint against Villar Land Holdings Corp. for alleged market manipulation, insider trading and misleading disclosures that distorted the company’s share prices.
