Las Piñas City Lone District Representative Mark Anthony Santos has called on the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and related government bodies to fully cooperate with the Office of the Ombudsman as it investigates extended delays in the ₱65-billion Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) Cavite Extension Project.
Santos made the appeal following confirmation from Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) turned over documents to the Ombudsman.
The files concern the LRT-1 extension and related infrastructure, including the rail alignment and the C-5 Road Extension flyover in Las Piñas.
“The submission of these documents is a major development. The truth is now in the hands of the Ombudsman, and the investigation must proceed without fear or favor,” Santos said.
“A thorough investigation is essential to uncover the truth and hold those responsible for the project’s delays accountable,” he added.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla previously revealed that the agency is looking into allegations that Senators Mark Villar and Camille Villar attempted to influence the alignment or execution of unfinished sections of the railway in Las Piñas and Cavite.
The inquiry centers on whether the route was redirected toward the C-5 Road corridor in Las Piñas, where the Villar family holds substantial land, alongside a broader review of official project records and communications.
The Villar siblings have denied interfering with the project.
“The Ombudsman must be given unrestricted access to every document necessary to uncover the truth. Every government agency involved has a legal and moral duty to cooperate fully, completely, and without reservation,” Santos said.
“The Filipino people deserve to know why this project has remained stalled for years, who authorized the decisions that resulted in the delays, whether the railway alignment was altered, and whether public officials or private interests benefited at the expense of millions of commuters,” he added.
Santos emphasized that the probe should clarify accountability while helping resolve remaining legal and right-of-way bottlenecks stalling construction.
Meanwhile, Lopez stated that the government plans to set strict conditions for the Villar Group regarding its proposed donation of six land parcels needed for the planned Las Piñas Station.
The requirements include an unconditional permit to enter the properties, protection against state liabilities, and the clearance of existing encumbrances.
“It’s a take-it-or-leave-it offer. They have to make a decision,” Lopez said in a radio interview.
Lopez noted that if the Villar Group rejects the conditions, the government may proceed with construction toward the Zapote and Niog stations in Bacoor, Cavite, bypassing the Las Piñas Station for now.
According to the DOTr, two of the six properties offered for donation carry encumbrances, including one parcel currently pledged as bank loan collateral.