Joel Villanueva released this statement
Senator Joel Villanueva reacted to the accusation that he was involved in anomalous flood control projects in Bulacan.
To recall, Villanueva was mentioned by former DPWH Bulacan assistant district engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez as one of the Senators who received kickbacks from the flood control projects. Hernandez also mentioned Senator Jinggoy Estrada.
Villanueva and Estrada denied the accusation against them. They even said that they are willing to open their bank accounts to support their innocence.
In an interview, Sen. Joel Villanueva emphasized that he never had any transaction with dismissed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official Henry Alcantara.
However, netizens were able to dig up an old video showing that Villanueva was present during an inauguration ceremony for a bridge in Bulacan. In his speech, Alcantara even mentioned that Villanueva would ask about the additional budget they needed for a certain project.
Because of this, netizens criticized the lawmaker. Following the accusations against him, Villanueva released a statement on his official social media page grabbed by Abante.
In his statement, the Senator said, “Tama na. Sawa na tayo sa paratang na walang pruweba na hanggang ngayon hinahanap pa ang ebidensuay laban sa atin.”
He also stressed that he will fight his accusers on the right platform. He expressed his intention to bring this matter to the legal forum. “Idedemanda ko po sila at doon ko po sila haharapin lahat,” the Senator said.
Villanueva emphasized, “Wala po tayong tinatago.” He added that he will not travel abroad to evade this issue and promised the public that he will remain focused on doing his job and serving the country with honesty.
In the comment section of this post, netizens once again expressed their negative reactions. A netizen said that Sen. Joel Villanueva already lied that he did not know the people involved in the flood control project anomalies. while another one pointed out that he should just admit it for his salvation.
