LAS Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos yesterday urged Senator Mark Villar to resign out of delicadeza following allegations of his involvement in anomalous multibillion-peso infrastructure projects during his five-year tenure as Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Santos said Villar’s continued presence in the Senate while under investigation undermines the credibility of both the chamber and the government’s anti-corruption drive.
“Kung may delicadeza, dapat na siyang bumaba sa puwesto. Paano magiging patas ang imbestigasyon kung nananatili siya sa kapangyarihan habang sangkot ang kanyang pamilya at mga kaalyado sa mga kuwestiyonableng proyekto?” Santos stressed.
Last Thursday, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) summoned former Public Works secretary and now Sen. Mark Villar to appear and testify in its investigation into the anomalous flood control projects in the country.
In its letter dated Oct. 2, 2025, the ICI requested Villar to appear before the commission at 9 a.m. on Oct. 7, 2025 at the ICI Building in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
On Wednesday, Santos also questioned Villar’s participation in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigation into anomalous flood control projects, citing a potential conflict of interest given his role as a former DPWH chief.
He pointed to the Villar family’s reported links to several public works projects now under scrutiny. These contracts are now under review for alleged overpricing and substandard implementation.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed on October 1 that Villar and members of his family are under investigation for their ties to I&E Construction, a firm connected to defeated Las Piñas mayoralty candidate Carlo Aguilar, cousin of Senator Villar.
Aguilar’s company allegedly secured ₱18.5 billion worth of projects, based on documents obtained by media outlets. Aguilar, a former city councilor, ran under the Villars’ ticket as a Nacionalista Party candidate in the 2025 elections. He was defeated by his cousin, April, who ran under the Nationalist People’s Coalition.
“If a relative of the Villar family is among those implicated, the credibility of the entire process is in even greater jeopardy,” Santos pointed out. “How can the public believe in accountability if the family of the investigator is itself under suspicion?”
DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla explained that the probe stemmed from possible conflicts of interest involving Villar’s relatives. He added that the investigation may also cover Senator Camille Villar and former senator Cynthia Villar.
“They’re related interests. They only have one interest. It’s just one relationship. It’s just one family,” Remulla said.
I&E Construction was among the companies subpoenaed by the House Committee on Public Works as part of its probe into questionable flood control projects.
Santos further noted that one of I&E’s projects—the ₱114.9-million Alabang–Zapote Diversion Road approved in March 2025—was already suspended by the DPWH after reporting only 0.50% completion due to unresolved right-of-way issues.
He added that Aguilar was also reported to be a business partner in a Quezon project involving a contractor tagged by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee as the country’s “top ghost project contractor.”
Santos recalled that during the August 19 Blue Ribbon hearing, Villar himself called for a “comprehensive and integrated flood control master plan” and criticized “fragmented and substandard projects.”
While Senator Villar maintained that he has “nothing to hide” and expressed full support for any investigation, Santos insisted that resignation is not merely a legal issue but a matter of moral accountability.
“If he truly has nothing to hide, it would be better for him to resign first so that the process will not be tainted and the Senate will remain unblemished,” Santos concluded.
