Mark Villar: None of my relatives got gov't contracts when I was DPWH chief

Senator Mark Villar said Thursday that none of his family members acquired any government contracts during his stint as secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under the previous administration.

This, as Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Wednesday that Mark Villar, his sister Senator Camille Villar, and their mother former Senator Cynthia Villar, are being investigated amid reports that they have familial ties with a Las Piñas-based contractor, who has secured P18.5 billion worth of government contracts.

Mark Villar said that he welcomes and supports any investigation into such issues, maintaining that he has “nothing to hide and believe[s] firmly in accountability and due process.”

“Let me be unequivocal: I have no direct or indirect ownership or controlling interest in any company participating in DPWH projects. The official record will confirm that none of my relatives acquired any contracts from 2016 to 2021, during my tenure as Secretary,” the senator said in a statement.

According to Remulla, Mark Villar has a first cousin who is a contractor, which he said was a “prohibited interest.”

Mark Villar served as the DPWH chief from 2016 to 2021, under the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. During this time, his mother, Cynthia, was a senator while his sister, Camille, was a Las Piñas representative starting from 2019.

Mark said that when he was DPWH chief, their mission was to “create a culture of complete transparency, from right-of-way acquisition to geotagging.”

“I have full faith that my service record in those years bears witness to this focus and commitment. To build upon that work, I fully support the investigation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure,” he added. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News