Mark Villar denies DPWH graft link

Sen. Mark Villar has broken his silence on allegations linking him and his family to questionable flood control projects, stressing that he had no personal or familial stake in any company with government infrastructure contracts during his tenure as secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“This is to set the record straight on recent matters and to reaffirm my unwavering commitment to transparency and good governance,” Villar said on Thursday.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla earlier confirmed the Department of Justice (DoJ) is probing possible conflict-of-interest violations involving I&E Construction, reportedly linked to Villar’s cousin and former Las Piñas mayoral candidate Carlo Aguilar. 

The firm allegedly bagged P18.5 billion worth of projects, including DPWH flood control works.

Villar said he welcomed “any investigation into these issues, as I have nothing to hide and believe firmly in accountability and due process.”

“Let me be unequivocal: I have no direct or indirect ownership or controlling interest in any company participating in DPWH projects,” he said.

Independent Commission for Infrastructure executive director Brian Hosaka said Villar could be called as a resource person in future ICI hearings due to his past DPWH role.

Villar also denied that any of his relatives obtained contracts while he was DPWH chief from 2016 to 2021. “My focus then was singular: to implement deep-seated reforms and rebuild public trust,” he said.

He cited his efforts to digitize department data, establish a 24/7 complaints hotline, and deploy drone surveillance to monitor projects. Civil society groups, he added, were invited to inspect project sites, while right-of-way acquisitions were geotagged for transparency.

“I have full faith that my service record in those years bears witness to this focus and commitment. To build upon that work, I fully support the investigation of the ICI,” Villar said, noting that he will file legislation mandating drone monitoring for all major public projects.

The DoJ, meanwhile, clarified that media reports linking I&E Construction to anomalies remain leads, not evidence. “We still have to flesh it out,” Remulla said. “Media gives us the leads that we have to follow.”

Carlo Aguilar, linked to I&E, ran for Las Piñas mayor in 2025 but lost to his cousin, April Aguilar.

Meanwhile, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said Thursday he has not spoken with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. since his resignation as ICI adviser. 

Magalong, a retired police general who investigated the Mamasapano massacre, has been among the loudest critics of flood control corruption. 

But his credibility was questioned by Rep. Terry Ridon, who accused him of “hypocrisy” for failing to disclose Baguio’s own P110-million tennis court and parking building project awarded to a contractor linked to firms flagged for ghost projects.

Ridon said Magalong “has only himself to blame,” saying he could have disclosed the deal before his appointment. The lawmaker noted that the project, now under scrutiny for defects and delays, had been flagged by Malacañang before news of it broke.

Magalong countered that the city had withheld P26 million in payments and imposed P5 million in penalties against the contractor, insisting the insinuation of corruption was “too much.”

Despite the controversy, Magalong pressed ahead with reforms in his city, most recently endorsing the adoption of blockchain to improve transparency. 

“Again and again, we find ourselves repeating this painful cycle. Corruption is structural, systemic, and highly syndicated,” he told senators in a separate hearing.

He said Baguio will roll out blockchain-based public audit trails by mid-October, adding: “Good governance should never be an exception. It should always be a way of life.”