Manny Villar to ‘dispose of’ PrimeWater – Cynthia

MANILA, Philippines — Villar-owned PrimeWater might get the ax, with former senator Cynthia Villar saying her husband wants to “dispose of” the controversial water service provider.

PrimeWater has faced mounting complaints over the past months about poor water service in over 100 areas where it signed a joint venture agreement (JVA) with water districts.

“Mr. Manny Villar already wants to dispose of PrimeWater since it is only being used against us in politics,” Cynthia told reporters on the sidelines of the 18th Waterlily Festival in Las Piñas on Thursday, adding, “We’re not even earning a lot from it.”

The former senator said that prolonged interruptions and dirty tap water should not be solely blamed on her family’s business.

“Some towns really have issues in supply that even if you build a water system, the problems persist,” she said.

For instance, the water district in San Jose del Monte in Bulacan incurred huge losses starting 2018 after entering a JVA with PrimeWater as it faced problems due to its high elevation, according to Cynthia.

“Not everything is the fault of the water service provider,” she asserted.

PrimeWater is a subsidiary of Prime Asset Ventures Inc., which is owned by Manuel Paolo, the eldest of the Villar siblings.

Malacañang previously said that JVAs between PrimeWater and local water districts skyrocketed in 2019 when the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) was still an attached agency of the Department of Public Works and Highways, led by Sen. Mark Villar at the time.

Mark eventually insisted he neither held a controlling stake in PrimeWater nor directly influenced the firm’s dealings with water districts.

LWUA has finished its investigation of PrimeWater and submitted its recommendations to President Marcos, who “concurred” with the report. The Palace has not yet released the findings.

For her part, Sen. Camille Villar expressed openness to a Senate probe, telling reporters at her proclamation in May, “If that’s what the majority wants, we welcome it.”