LAS Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos strongly questioned yesterday the reported ₱18-billion worth of government contracts allegedly awarded to construction firms linked to former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary and now Senator Mark Villar.
According to Rep. Santos, it is both highly suspicious and deeply alarming that most of these multi-billion projects were awarded in areas tied to the Villar family’s political influence, particularly in Las Piñas and provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon (CALABARZON) region.
Just days earlier, Rep. Santos urged the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) to include Senator Villar, the immediate past DPWH Secretary, in its ongoing investigation into allegedly anomalous flood-control projects.
Santos also cited the case of Henry Alcantara, appointed as District Engineer of Bulacan’s First Engineering District in 2019 by then-DPWH Secretary Villar, who now chairs the Senate Committee on Public Works.
A special report by Bilyonaryo News Channel last Tuesday further revealed that several relatives and close associates of the Villar family—including relatives of the senator’s wife—cornered billions of pesos in government infrastructure projects during Villar’s tenure as DPWH chief under the Duterte administration from 2016 to 2021.
“Government must not be treated as a business enterprise. ₱18 billion is no small amount—it is the people’s money. If there is any indication that power was used to benefit oneself or one’s family, that is a blatant form of corruption and must never be tolerated,” the neophyte lawmaker firmly stated.
“Public funds are not a family business,” he said.
He added that the public cannot ignore suspicions that Villar’s former position as DPWH Secretary may have been used to favor a company reportedly linked to him particularly to his cousin Carlo Aguilar, a former Las Pinas councilor and defeated mayoralty candidate in the last elections.
“If these reports are true, this is a clear case of conflict of interest. We cannot allow public funds to be turned into a family business. No matter how powerful, no one is above the law or beyond accountability,” Santos asserted.
As a concrete step, Santos announced that he will be filing a House Resolution calling for a congressional inquiry in aid of legislation to examine the awarding of these contracts, determine whether laws or regulations were violated, and hold accountable those responsible for possible irregularities.
“A simple call for explanation is not enough. That is why I am pushing for a congressional investigation to shed light on this issue. We need to know if due process was followed, and if not, those who abused their power must face the consequences,” Santos explained.
He emphasized that this initiative is not only about exposing corruption but also about reinforcing safeguards to prevent officials or private entities from exploiting political connections for profit at the expense of the Filipino people.
“Public office is a public trust. Government projects must serve the people, not enrich a privileged few. If power continues to be used for personal or family gain, public trust in government will only further erode. It is time to put an end to this kind of leadership,” Santos stressed.
The Las Pinas solon also called on his colleagues in Congress, along with oversight agencies such as the Commission on Audit (COA) and the Office of the Ombudsman, to take a firm stand in ensuring transparency, accountability, and integrity in the use of taxpayers’ money.
“We, as elected representatives, are duty-bound to guarantee that every peso of public funds is spent properly. We will not stop until the truth comes out and those responsible are held accountable,” Santos concluded.
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