The Villar family is under investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) over the alleged P18.5 billion worth of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla confirmed on Wednesday, October 1, that Senators Mark and Camille Villar, as well as their mother, former Senator Cynthia Villar, are being investigated for being involved with a top contractor in Las Piñas, citing family ties.
The probe stemmed from the agency receiving reports linking Villar to the said contractor who had secured billions of pesos worth of DPWH projects in Las Piñas and other parts of Calabarzon.
“Yung first cousin niya yung contractor sa lugar nila, that is a prohibited interest,” Remulla said in a media interview, revealing that they are investigating reports that Senator Mark Villar has a first cousin who is a contractor, an arrangement he described as a ‘prohibited interest.’
The Justice Secretary emphasized that the Villars and the contractor in question share a "related interest," noting that they belong to the same family. According to him, their familial ties raise concerns of conflict of interest, especially in the awarding of government contracts.
“Isang relationship lang ‘yan. Isang family lang yan. First degree of consanguinity up to the fourth degree of consanguinity,” he explained, referring to the close family ties between the public officials and the contractor under investigation.
“Lahat ng klase ng project ‘yan… from the school buildings, to roads, to asphalt overlay, to revetments, lahat ‘yan kasama ‘yan,” Remulla told reporters when asked about the scope of the projects involved that under investigation. He pointed out that the contractor handled not only flood control projects but also various types of infrastructure.
Remulla then emphasized that public officials should not have close personal or familial ties to contractors who benefit from government projects. He explained that such relationships create a conflict of interest, especially when those officials are involved in the budgeting process that determines where public funds go.
“Kasama ’yan sa relationship na hindi dapat nangyayari. Kasi you have something to do with the way that the money is involved. When you participate in a budgeting process, kasama ka na do’n,” Remulla stressed, highlighting the conflict of interest that arises when public officials are involved in budget decisions that could benefit their relatives.
It may be recalled that from 2016 to 2021, Senator Mark Villar served as the DPWH Secretary, while Cynthia Villar was a senator. In 2019-2025, Senator Camille Villar became the representative of Las Piñas.
Moreover, Aguilar has familial ties to the Villar family, as Cynthia Aguilar Villar comes from the Aguilar clan. Through her and her brother, the Aguilars have become part of the extended Villar political dynasty in Las Piñas, in which a sitting mayor today is an Aguilar.
Notably, reports indicate that during the time of Mark Villar as DPWH Secretary and chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Works, Villar-Aguilar linked companies secured a total of 367 DPWH projects mostly in Las Piñas and Cavite, amounting to P18.5 billion.
