Mark Villar reclaims public works chairship in switch to majority bloc

Senator-judge Mark Villar attends Day 2 of the impeachment trial at the Senate in Pasay City.

Mark Villar via Facebook

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Mark Villar has regained chairship of the powerful Senate public works committee in his jump to the majority bloc.

Majority Leader Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri confirmed Villar's switch to the majority during the plenary session Thursday, October 8, where he also announced Villar's election as chair of the public works panel, replacing Sen. Tito Sotto. 

The Senate has also elected Villar as a member of the Commission on Appointments, replacing Zubiri.

The majority bloc now has 14 members. 

Alongside the reshuffle, Minority Leader Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano was also elected as member of the Commission on Appointments, replacing Sen. Loren Legarda.

Mark's sister, Sen. Camille Villar, remains in the Cayetano-led minority bloc.

Mark previously broke with the minority bloc during the impeachment court's deliberations on whether to do away with the fixed 16-vote threshold for convicting Vice President Sara Duterte. 

The senator had voted in favor of allowing the court to interpret with flexibility the Constitution's requirement of conviction by "two-thirds of all members" of the Senate. 

Ombudsman probe

Both Villar siblings are facing an Ombudsman probe for alleged violations of the anti-graft law over joint ventures entered into by their former water utility firm PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. 

Besides the two sitting senators, the Ombudsman also named former Senators Manny and Cynthia Villar, businessman Manuel Paolo Villar, as well as PrimeWater executives Fe Reblancos and Romeo Sabater as respondents in the criminal and administrative complaints.

PrimeWater has been accused of entering into deals with local water districts between 2015 and 2022 that were skewed against the government's interest.

The agreements under scrutiny were signed during Mark's term as public works secretary and membership on the board of the Local Water Utilities Administration.