DOJ chief to order Usec. Villar to inhibit from water concession review

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Friday said he will order Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar to inhibit from having any role in the review of the government's water concession agreements with Manila Water and Maynilad to allay suspicions on vested interest.

"Dahil may mga tao na quite unfortunately nag-iisip ng ganyan, may agam-agam, ang gagawin ko lang, sasabihin ko lang kay Usec. Villar na inhibit ka muna dito, huwag ka munang makialam dito—makialam in the sense na wag na siyang mag-participate," Guevarra said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

"Ako na lang ang directly magsu-supervise sa output ng legal staff ng OGCC (Office of the Government Corporate Counsel) para lang huwag nang magkaroon ng agam-agam ang ibang tao. Para walang issue, huwag ka na lang ma-involve sa review na ito," he added.

Villar, a former congresswoman, is the wife of Public Works Secretary Mark Villar and the daughter-in-law of Senator Cynthia Villar and businessman Manny Villar. The Villar family owns the growing water utility PrimeWater Infrastructure Corporation, which is headed by Senator Villar's eldest son, Manuel Paolo Villar.

The OGCC is an attached agency of the DOJ which has been placed under the supervision of Villar when she took oath as justice undersecretary in 2018.

She also supervises the department's legal staff, Office of the Solicitor General and the Presidential Commission on Good Government, according to Guevarra.

"Nagkataon lang na ang mga opisina o units na ito ng DOJ ay under the supervision ni Underscretary Emmeline Villar kasi lahat ng undersecretaries ng DOJ ay may kanya-kanyang areas of responsibility," he said.

"Dati na niyang trabaho 'yan, dadaan talaga sa kaniya 'yan."

Guevarra reiterated that whether or not Villar supervises the aforementioned units, the same results on the supposed "onerous provisions" will be obtained from the review.

Based on DOJ's scrutiny, the existing contracts of Manila Water and Maynilad are disadvantageous to the government as these prohibit government interference in rate-setting and contain a provision for indemnity in case of such an interference.

Undersecretary Villar earlier said that the DOJ conducted a “disinterested” review of the concession agreements. —KBK, GMA News