By Vanne Elaine Terrazola  Senator Cynthia Villar on Tuesday downplayed claims that President Duterte was building up her family's Prime Water Infrastructure Corp. to replace Manila Water Company, Inc. and Maynilad Water Services, Inc. as Metro Manila's water concessionaire. Sen. Cynthia Villar
(Senate of the Philippines / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) In a chance interview with reporters, Villar said the President was only praising her husband, former Senate President Manuel "Manny" Villar, for putting up successful businesses out of hard work. "Kasi si Manny kasama niya before when he was a congressman, siguro nakita niya yong lifestyle ni Manny. Natutuwa siya. Saka remember, si Manny is...hindi niya minana 'yong kanyang kabuhayan. Pinundar 'yon on his own. Siguro sinasabi niya na siya, pinaghirapan niya 'yong kanyang kabuhayan (Because the President worked with Manny when was congressman, maybe he saw Manny's lifestyle and admired it. And remember, Manny did not inherit his livelihood. He built it up on his own. Maybe the President was only saying that Manny worked hard to put up his business)," she said, mentioning that corporations owning and controlling the two water concessionaires have been established "for generations." Manny Villar was House Speaker when Duterte was Davao City first district representative in the 11th Congress. The real estate magnate once ran for president with his rags to riches story. In 2019, he was declared as the Philippines' richest man in the Forbes’ 2019 list of the World’s Billionaires, with a net worth of $6.6 billion as of December. Worldwide, he was ranked 317th. Senator Villar, on the other hand, distanced from Prime Water and the possibility of it taking over the country's largest concession area, saying she was not aware whether or not the company has plans to offer its services to the government. "Any business pinag-aaralan 'yan, at kung sino nagma-manage, 'yon ang mag-aaral. Ba't ako naman ang mag-aaral para sa kanila, eh, senador ako? Pagbubutihin ko na lang maging senador at bahala sila sa buhay nila, 'di ba (Any business would consider that, but whoever is managing it should be the one studying it. Why will I look into it for them when I am a senator? I'd rather do my job as a senator and let them be)," said the Villar matriarch. The water utility firm is led by their eldest son, Paolo. She said, though, that she believes that Prime Water is capable of distributing the water supply in the areas covered by Manila Water and Maynilad. Asked on Prime Water's advantages, she said: "Wala naman kaming advantage except that 'di naman kami gumagawa ng onerous contracts ("We have no advantages over them except that we are not engaged in crafting onerous contracts", taking a swipe at the two water concessionaires. Villar supported President Duterte in demanding for a "fair" water agreement with Maynilad and Manila Water, agreeing that the government's contract with the two were disadvantageous to the people.