Malacañang clarifies no insinuations against Sen Villar in PrimeWater deals

Malacañang clarified on Tuesday that it is not insinuating former Public Works Secretary and current Senator Mark Villar was behind joint venture deals between PrimeWater and local water districts.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro emphasized during a press briefing that the increase in these deals around 2019 occurred when Villar headed DPWH, which then supervised LWUA, but stressed there were no insinuations made against him.

Castro noted that while the number of joint ventures increased under Villar's leadership at DPWH, she did not imply any involvement or conflict of interest on his part.

PrimeWater, owned by Villar's brother and part of the Villar family’s business group, is currently under government investigation due to consumer complaints about service interruptions and inconsistent supply.

LWUA Administrator Jose Moises Salonga stated that the agency has completed its initial investigation into PrimeWater joint ventures and submitted findings and recommendations to Marcos' office.

Villar maintains he had no direct or indirect stake in PrimeWater during his tenure as DPWH chief and played no role in its transactions.

PrimeWater affirmed it is committed to cooperating with LWUA and resolving service-related complaints, while Marcos ordered an investigation into the company's operations.