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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Mark Villar denies family involvement in awarding of gov't projects; welcomes probe

Mark Villar denies family involvement in awarding of gov't projects; welcomes probe

Published Oct 2, 2025 12:49 pm  |  Updated Oct 2, 2025 01:40 pm

At A Glance

  • Senator Mark Villar denied any family involvement in DPWH contracts during his tenure as agency secretary. He also expressed full support for an investigation into the alleged P18.5-billion projects linked to his relatives.
Senator Mark Villar stated on Thursday, Oct. 2, that none of his relatives acquired government contracts during his five-year tenure as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary.
Senator Mark Villar
Senator Mark Villar
In a statement Thursday, Oct. 2, Senator Mark says that he welcomes and fully supports any investigation into the issues involving government projects.
Villar also stated that he had no direct or indirect ownership or controlling interest in any company participating in DPWH projects. He added that the official record can confirm that none of his relatives acquired any contracts from 2016 to 2021, or during his tenure as agency secretary.
Senator Mark, his sister Senator Camille Villar, and their mother, former senator Cynthia Villar, are under investigation on the alleged awarding of P18.5 billion worth of government projects to a relative, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.
Senator Mark said that his focus then was singular: to implement deep-seated reforms and rebuild public trust. "We pursued this on multiple fronts," he said.
"We digitized all DPWH data through partnerships with various institutions to make it completely transparent and accessible. We empowered citizens by establishing community groups in far-flung areas to serve as our eyes and ears on the ground, and we launched a 24/7 complaints hotline to ensure every voice was heard," he said.
"We also leveraged technology, utilizing drones for monitoring and actively inviting civil society organizations to enter and inspect project sites firsthand. Our mission was to create a culture of complete transparency, from right-of-way acquisition to geotagging," he added.
Senator Mark has full faith that his service record during those years shows this focus and commitment.
"To build upon that work, I fully support the investigation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure. Furthermore, to institutionalize these practices, we will be filing a bill to mandate universal drone monitoring for all major government projects," he added.
The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) plans to subpoena Senator Mark alongside Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez and former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co.

Related Tags

Mark Villar Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Department of Justice (DOJ) Independent Commission for Infrastructure
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