MANILA, Philippines — Former Bayan Muna party-list representative Carlos Isagani Zarate welcomed the Office of the Ombudsman’s (OMB) preliminary investigation of the Villar family and PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. executives over allegedly disadvantageous joint venture agreements (JVAs) with local water districts.
In a statement released Sunday, Zarate said the probe could bring accountability over years of complaints about poor water service, frequent interruptions, and high rates.
“This is a significant step toward accountability. For years, we have raised the alarm over the onerous JVAs that PrimeWater entered into with water districts across the country,” he said.
The complaints involve alleged violations of Sections 3(e) and 3(g) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Named respondents were senators Mark and Camille Villar, former senators Cynthia and Manny Villar, Manuel Paolo Villar, PrimeWater executives, and officials of concerned water districts.
The investigation stemmed from a report by the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel that PrimeWater entered into joint ventures with 75 local water districts from 2015 to 2022. Nineteen districts have since issued notices of pretermination, while the Commission on Audit flagged at least P65.6 million in unpaid obligations to three water districts.
PWIC has reportedly failed to supply uninterrupted water service and has instead provided water that allegedly failed to meet drinking water standards, among other complaints against the company.
Zarate, former Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite, and lawyer Neri Colmenares filed a complaint before Malacañang in December 2025 seeking the cancellation of PrimeWater’s joint venture agreements.
“We filed that complaint because water is a basic human right, not a profit-making commodity for oligarchs. Hindi ito negosyo para sa iilan; ito ay karapatan ng bawat Pilipino,” Zarate said.
The former lawmaker urged the Ombudsman to investigate all officials involved in approving the agreements and those who allegedly failed to act on complaints. He warned that the sale of PrimeWater to Crystal Bridges Holding Corp. in December 2025 should not prevent authorities from pursuing liability for past actions.
“The sale of PrimeWater does not erase liability for the damage already done,” Zarate said. “We must ensure that these agreements are rescinded, that affected water districts are returned to genuine public control, and that the Filipino people, not the oligarchs, finally win this fight,” he added.
