Money talks, foolish walks, Villars told

Las Piñas City Councilor Mark Anthony Santos has raised concerns about the construction of two bridges linking a major private subdivision in the city to neighboring Cavite, suggesting they primarily benefit the Villar family’s businesses and may pose a conflict of interest.

Santos claimed the “Cavite Bridge” and the “Dear Joe Bridge” primarily serve the interests of Vista Land’s Camella Homes and other Villar properties in Cavite, managed by former Senate President Manny Villar and Senator Cynthia Villar.

Earlier, Euan Rex Toralballa, president of the BF Resort Homeowners Association, noted that the bridges were built near the BF Resort Village and connect the Villar Farm in Bacoor to the Zapote River Drive.

Toralballa said the infrastructure links the Villar family’s malls, subdivisions, and retail establishments in the area.

“AllValue Holdings Inc., the Villar Group’s holding company, oversees various retail businesses, including AllHome, AllDay Supermarket and Coffee Project, all of which benefit from the infrastructure,” Toralballa said.

Santos also pointed out that the bridges were constructed during the tenure of Mark Villar as Department of Public Works and Highways secretary, further fueling suspicions of conflict of interest.

“Until today, the actions and transactions of the Villar family will definitely be subject to suspicions and doubts,” Santos said.

The Cavite Bridge, which sits near the River Drive Road in BF Resort Village, has faced backlash from homeowners, especially since access to it was forcibly opened in 2029.

Santos criticized the environmental impact of the bridge’s construction, noting that it altered the natural waterway of the Zapote River and disturbed centuries-old trees.

Through ‘kindness’

In several media interviews, Senator Cynthia Villar claimed that her family spent P35 million to construct the bridge to ease traffic and reduce flooding.

“I am the one who built the bridge. That was through my kindness; we did not charge anyone. I am the owner, and I do not ask for payment,” she said in Filipino, referring to the project as a charitable effort.

However, Santos questioned whether Villar’s financial contribution gives her the right to claim ownership of the bridge’s access routes.

“Madam senator, did you ‘donate’ P35 million to make it easier to track down your failing businesses in Las Piñas and Cavite?” he asked. “Money talks, foolish walks.”

Santos also expressed concern that the bridge worsened traffic within BF Resort Village, as motorists from Cavite have been using it without the proper village sticker.

He cited complaints from residents about accidents, increased crime, and traffic congestion, which reportedly costs them thousands of pesos in lost time and fuel.

Toralballa added that on multiple occasions, Senator Villar personally instructed security personnel to allow vehicles with the Friendship Route sticker — granted by the local government — access through the village, even if they lacked the required subdivision sticker.

Additionally, large construction vehicles passing through the village en route to the Dear Joe Bridge have caused further traffic disruptions.