Solon cites Villar group cause of delay of LRT-1 extension

Congressman Mark Anthony Santos of Las Pinas, deputy majority leader at the House of Representatives, believes the creeping delay in the completion of the LRT 1 Cavite Extension Project can be attributed to the failure to finalize the proposed Right of Way Usage Agreement (ROWUA).

Despite a directive from Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to resolve the project’s location of its last two stations, the Villar Group through its companies Fine Properties and Villa Land Holdings has repeatedly denied responsibility for the setback. They claimed they even offered to donate the required properties to expedite construction and avoid any further delay in the expropriation proceedings.

Rep. Santos said officials from DOTr, the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), and representatives of the Villar Group already met multiple times from September 2021 to June 2025 to finalize the ROWUA.

But the agreement remain unsigned, preventing government from completing the country’s first electric railway line.

Santos said, “We have documentary evidence showing that this government project has been repeatedly delayed,”.

The extension of LRT-1 alignment from Baclaran to Cavite has been in development since the administration of former President Joseph Estrada.

The realignment issue affecting the P64.915-billion project centers of the site of the Las Piñas and Zapote stations.

Rep. Santos cited a letter from DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez addressed to Cynthia J. Javarez, president of Fine Properties Inc. and Golden MV Holdings Inc., saying that despite continuous coordination and efforts by government, the landowners have yet to approve the draft ROWUA to formalize their commitment to donate the property at no cost to the government.

Earlier, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla cited concerns over the alignment in Sucat, Parañaque, where the project reportedly stalled due to proposals to reroute it toward C-5, where the Villar family owns properties.

Senator-siblings Mark and Camille Villar denied allegations they blocked completion of the project. Former senator Cynthia Villar also strongly denied allegations linking them to delays in the project, stressing that such claims do not reflect the actual situation.