Senator Mark Villar on Saturday denied that he had any participation in joint venture agreements (JVAs) entered into by PrimeWater and various local water districts facilitated through the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), when it was still an attached agency of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) during his term as secretary.
“I wish to take this opportunity to clarify that I have no direct or indirect ownership or controlling interest in PrimeWater,” Villar said in a statement.
“During my tenure as Secretary of Public Works, I did not participate in any capacity whatsoever in any transactions or potential transactions between PrimeWater and any of its partner districts. My focus then had been to implement our national goal of creating critical community infrastructure,” the senator added.
Villar served as the chief of the DPWH from 2016 to 2021 during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. He stepped down from the post to run for a Senate seat in the 2022 elections.
PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. is owned by the Villar family. The senator released the statement after Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said JVAs between PrimeWater and local water districts increased in 2019, a time when Villar headed the DPWH.
Castro also noted that the Office of the President met Friday with LWUA and the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel to discuss the current concerns of PrimeWater consumers.
LWUA Administrator Jose Moises Salonga earlier said the agency completed its initial investigation into complaints about the PrimeWater JVAs and had submitted its findings to the office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Salonga pointed out that LWUA was previously attached to the DPWH, and the possible conflict may involve former officials. Marcos earlier directed a probe into PrimeWater’s operations following a surge in complaints. Meanwhile, a resolution has been filed in the House of Representatives seeking an inquiry into the JVAs. PrimeWater, for its part, said it is open to any dialogue to address the issues and pledged to cooperate with LWUA.