Villar camp reached out to DOJ; Remulla says he wants setup to be official

The camp of the Villars reached out to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to set a meeting after it was revealed that they are being investigated amid reports that they have familial ties with a Las Piñas-based contractor who secured billions worth of contracts, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Thursday.

“There was an effort to set a meeting pero wala pa ako response,” he said in a media briefing.

“Kasi nga, I’d rather it be done officially. Diba? Transparently, officially, across the board para walang masabi na he said, she said. We’re trying to avoid that scenario,” he added.

Remulla previously said Senators Mark Villar and Camille Villar, and their mother, former senator Cynthia Villar, are being investigated due to information that Villar has a first cousin who has secured P18.5 billion worth of government contracts.

Remulla said this is a prohibited interest.

For his part, Mark Villar said that none of his family members acquired any government contracts during his stint as secretary of the DPWH.

He also 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.” — BM, GMA Integrated News