Palace dismisses VP Duterte's claim on Marcos' directive to probe PrimeWater

On Friday, Malacañang denied Vice President Sara Duterte's claim that President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr.'s directive to probe the Villar-owned water utility firm PrimeWater was politically motivated.

Duterte had alleged that the investigation was politically driven after her endorsement of senatorial candidate Camille Villar, who is running for election in 2025.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro dismissed Duterte's comments, stating they did not expect positive remarks from her regarding the President and urged her to raise her level of discourse.

Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas confirmed that Camille Villar remains part of the administration slate for Eleksyon 2025 but supports Marcos' directive to investigate PrimeWater.

The Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) started its formal investigation on Friday, May 2, following consumer complaints about poor service delivery by PrimeWater in various provinces.

PrimeWater has entered into at least 73 joint ventures with local water districts across the country, and Castro emphasized that the investigation is necessary to address public concerns.