Manila: Malaca±ang has clarified that it is not insinuating that former Public Works Secretary and current Senator Mark Villar was behind the joint venture deals entered into by PrimeWater with local water districts. In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro addressed questions regarding the timing of these deals, which notably increased around 2019 when Villar was the head of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), then the supervising agency of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA).

According to Philippines News Agency, Castro explained, "Ang pagkaka-describe lang naman natin ay mas dumami noong 2019 at noong ito'y na-attach nga sa DPWH, 'yung LWUA (What we noted is that the number increased in 2019, when LWUA was attached to DPWH)." She emphasized that there was no suggestion or insinuation that Villar was responsible for the increase in the number of deals, stating, "Nagkataon kasi siya 'yung namumuno sa DPWH (It just happened he was leading DPWH at the time)."

PrimeWater, owned by Villar's brother and part of the Villar family's business group, is currently under government scrutiny following consumer complaints over service interruptions and inconsistent supply in various parts of the country it serves. The company operates under joint venture agreements with several local water districts.

Senator Villar has maintained that he had no direct or indirect stake in PrimeWater and had no role in any transactions involving the firm during his tenure as DPWH chief. Castro supported this by saying, "Sa aking pagkakabasa, wala siyang partisipasyon patungkol dito sa mga transaksyon (From what I've read, he had no participation in the transactions)."

Despite this, Castro suggested that increased involvement from Villar could have potentially mitigated the issues faced by PrimeWater, saying, "Mas maganda sana kung siya ay nagkaroon ng mas malalimang pagpa-participate dahil baka mas naiwasan pa ang problema ng PrimeWater (It might have helped if he had participated more deeply - perhaps the problems with PrimeWater could have been avoided)."

Villar served as the head of the DPWH from 2016 to 2021 under the previous administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte.