LAS Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos yesterday urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to suspend negotiations with the Villar Group and immediately proceed with the long-delayed ₱64.9-billion LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project, warning that continued negotiations would only further delay its completion.
Santos said the government should prioritize the immediate implementation of the railway project and pursue the most efficient, cost-effective, and legally sound solution to complete the LRT-1 Cavite Extension for the benefit of millions of commuters.
“Out of delicadeza, I respectfully urge DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez and Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) Administrator Hernando Cabrera to suspend further negotiations with the Villar Group while issues affecting the project remain unresolved,” Santos said.
The lawmaker noted that the DOTr, the LRTA, and the Villar Group have been negotiating for the past six years over the proposed Right-of-Way Usage Agreement (ROWUA) covering the remaining three stations of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension.
“The time for endless negotiations is over. The DOTr should stop negotiating with the Villar Group and move forward with the construction of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension. The Filipino people have waited long enough for this vital infrastructure project,” Santos said.
“It appears that the Villar Group is merely keeping the government tied up in negotiations to ultimately advance its own business interests. The Villar family’s offer to donate the land for the proposed Las Piñas Station remains unclear because they still expect the government to provide compensation,” he added.
“Pina-paikot lang nila ang gobyerno at ang taong bayan.”
Santos cited a follow-up letter sent by DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez to Fine Properties Inc. and Golden MV Holdings, Inc. President Cynthia Javarez, in which the transportation chief said the government had exhausted all efforts to coordinate with the affected landowners regarding the proposed station site at the intersection of C-5 Extension and Tramo Road.
In his letter, Lopez said: “Despite our continued coordination and good-faith efforts, the landowners (Villar Group) have yet to approve the draft Right-of-Way Usage Agreement (ROWUA) necessary to formalize their commitment to donate the property to the project at no cost to the government.”
Santos also noted that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed criminal complaints before the Department of Justice (DOJ) alleging violations involving Villar Land Holdings Corp. He said these developments underscore the need for government agencies to exercise greater prudence in their dealings.
“Regardless of the outcome of those proceedings, government agencies must ensure that every official action upholds the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability. The Filipino people deserve nothing less,” Santos said.
He urged the DOTr and the LRTA to exhaust all available legal, engineering, and administrative remedies that would allow the project to proceed without further delay while safeguarding public funds.
“The government’s primary obligation is to protect the public interest and ensure that taxpayer-funded infrastructure projects are completed on schedule. The LRT-1 Cavite Extension should be finished before the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term in June 2028,” Santos said.
metrosundaily
