Senator Joel Villanueva filed a counter-affidavit denying allegations connecting him to the alleged ghost flood control projects, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.

DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez confirmed over the weekend that Villanueva submitted the document ahead of the preliminary investigation scheduled on Monday, 26 January 2026.

Villanueva personally appeared before the DOJ to submit the counter-affidavit but declined to speak with reporters.

Earlier this month, Villanueva’s legal counsel also filed a counter-affidavit for a separate graft complaint involving the alleged delivery of about P150 million in kickbacks from a flood control project.

The senator was originally given until 26 January to submit his counter-affidavit.

Villanueva is named as a respondent in malversation complaints involving construction firms Wawao Builders and Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc.

During a Senate hearing in September, state witness and former Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara alleged that Villanueva received commissions from flood control projects. Alcantara said the payments were delivered to a rest house in Bocaue, Bulacan, and received by individuals identified as Villanueva’s personnel, including one named “Peng.”