A government rail line meant to reach Cavite has become the subject of a graft inquiry, with the Office of the Ombudsman now scrutinizing whether two sitting senators worked to obstruct its completion.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla disclosed in a weekend radio interview that his office is reviewing allegations tied to the Light Rail Transit Line 1 extension, specifically the unfinished Niog Station in Bacoor, Cavite, which is slated to open in 2027. Investigators, he said, want to establish whether Senators Mark Villar and Camille Villar played a part in the project’s stalled timeline.
“Iniimbestigahan namin… kasi dapat ‘yan, umabot na ng Cavite ‘yan. Kaya lang ang naging kwento, we are still determining kung totoo o hindi, meron talagang senador, two senators, ‘yung mga Villar, who were going against the alignment,” Remulla said.
At the center of the inquiry is the question of where the railway is supposed to run. According to Remulla, the senators allegedly favored shifting the route toward C-5 Road in Las Piñas — an area where the Villar family is said to hold property — rather than keeping the alignment that had already been mapped through Sucat.
“Gusto nila dumaan sa lupa nila kasi may alignment na ‘yan doon sa Sucat. Doon tinigil nila… gusto nila itaas sa C-5 kung saan may lupa sila,” Remulla said.
The Ombudsman framed the dispute as part of a wider pattern in which legislative leverage can stall public works. He pointed to the senators’ standing in the chamber and their position on related measures as obstacles to large-scale transit planning.
“’Yung mass transit authority is a big question kasi sa Senado pa lang may dalawang boto ka na na lalaban sa’yo. Ayaw nila. Sila rin ang ayaw ng Land Use Act. ‘Yan ang alam ng lahat sa Senado, mga Villar… sana ‘di totoo pero we are investigating,” Remulla said.
Remulla extended the argument to infrastructure spending generally, contending that public funds intended to back national projects can be undermined when those projects clash with private interests.
“We are investing in infrastructure using people’s money. Ang ating budget dapat naka-support dyan. Ang problema, if it goes against their interest, ayaw nila suportahan. Hinaharang nila,” he said.
“They are using the rules of the Senate, the rules of the House… ‘yung greed sana mamoderate. Tama na,” he added.
To verify the claims, the Ombudsman said his investigators are going through correspondence and documentary records held by the agencies attached to the project.
As of this writing, no one from the Villar side has responded to the accusations laid out by Remulla.
