Villanueva hits back at graft allegations: ‘Wala akong tinatago’

Senator Joel Villanueva on Friday denounced what he described as repeated and baseless attempts to link him to alleged anomalies involving government funds, this time, in connection with unprogrammed allocations.

“Paulit-ulit na lang (It’s the same thing over and over again),” Villanueva said in a statement. 

“Ilang beses na po akong idinadawit—una sa bicam, tapos sa GAA, ngayon naman daw sa unprogrammed funds (I’ve been dragged into this several times already—first during the bicam, then the GAA, and now, supposedly, the unprogrammed funds),” he added.

The senator emphasized that he has no control over unprogrammed funds and questioned who actually wields the authority over such allocations. 

“Sino po ba ang may kapangyarihan sa unprogrammed funds? DBM? DPWH? Speaker of the House? Senate President? Mismong Presidente? (But who really has control over unprogrammed funds? The DBM? DPWH? The Speaker of the House? The Senate President? The President himself?)," he asked. 

“Hindi tayo ang nagpasok sa unprogrammed funds. At madaling patunayan (It wasn’t me who inserted those funds. And that’s easy to prove),” he said. 

Villanueva, a former Senate Majority Leader and current member of the Senate Committee on Finance, asserted that ordinary senators do not possess the power to insert or control such funds. 

“Ang ordinaryong Senador: Wala pong ganyangkapangyarihan (An ordinary Senator: we do not have that kind of authority),” he said. 

He also decried what he sees as an ongoing effort to tie his name to any project or controversy related to Bulacan, his home province.

“Lahat na lang po kapag Bulacan, si Joel na raw (Every time it’s about Bulacan, they point at Joel) ” he said. “Flood control? Lahat po ng opisyal na sangkot nagsabi, wala akong kinalaman doon.”

Villanueva likewise dismissed claims of his involvement in flood control projects in Bulacan and alleged 30% kickbacks from contractors, saying no evidence has ever been presented.

He believes the accusations are politically motivated and part of a broader scheme targeting him ahead of the 2028 national elections. 

He suggested that powerful interests are trying to make him a “sacrificial lamb” to cover up or distract from their own questionable dealings.

“Klaro po sa akin: sindikato, may interes sa 2028, may gustong sumikat, at ako raw ang gustong ialay bilang sacrificial lamb (To me, it’s clear: there’s a syndicate, there are 2028 political interests, there are people hungry for attention—and I’m the one they want to offer up as the sacrificial lamb),” he said. 

He pointed out that the smear campaign appeared to have started after he publicly called out then-congressman Zaldy Co in 2023 for allegedly inserting projects into the budget for Bulacan without proper consultation.

Since then, Villanueva claimed, various false narratives—ranging from budget insertions, to bicam lobbying, to doctored photos—have been thrown at him without evidence.

“Sampung beses na po nagbago ang paratang, pero iisa ang katotohanan: lahat ito walang laman, photoshop, at narinig di umano (The accusations have changed ten times, but the truth remains the same: they’re all baseless, photoshopped, and based on hearsay).”

Villanueva vowed to take legal action, declaring that he is done tolerating baseless accusations and will file charges against those behind the allegations:

“Tama na. Sawa na po tayo sa paratang na walang pruweba... Idedemanda ko po sila. At doon ko na din po haharapin lahat (That’s enough. I’m tired of baseless accusations.. I will file charges. And that’s where I will face it all),” he warned. 

Despite the controversy, Villanueva reaffirmed his commitment to public service. 

“Sa taumbayan, malinaw po: wala akong tinatago. Nananatili akong nakatutok sa tunay na trabaho—ang maglingkod nang tapat at may malasakit (To the public, let me be clear: I have nothing to hide. I remain focused on the real work—serving with integrity and compassion),” he said.