A religious congregation said it has initiated legal action after one of its priests was accused during a Senate hearing of receiving money allegedly linked to a flood control kickback scheme, calling the claims “false, malicious and defamatory.”
In a statement, the SVD community categorically denied allegations against Fr. Flaviano Antonio Villanueva that he received cash through an envelope allegedly delivered near a church on Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City.
“We categorically deny these allegations. They are false,” the congregation said. “Legal action has already been initiated. We intend to hold accountable those who have chosen to bear false witness.”
The accusations surfaced during a Senate inquiry into alleged irregularities in flood control projects, where purported former Marines linked Villanueva to transactions allegedly connected to controversial scheme.
The SVD said the accusations “never occurred” and pointed to what it described as glaring inconsistencies and factual errors in the testimony presented during the hearing.
According to the congregation, no church matching the witness’s description exists along Mindanao Avenue, and no SVD parish, church or ministry center is located in that area.
The order described the allegations as a grave injustice against Villanueva, who is widely known for his ministry among the poor and families of victims of extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration’s ruthless drug war.
Meanwhile, Bishop Elias Ayuban Jr. of Cubao said no SVD church exists on Mindanao Avenue or in its immediate vicinity, contradicting details cited during the Senate proceedings.
He said the congregation’s presence in the diocese is limited to Sacred Heart Parish-Shrine in Kamuning, Sto. Niño de Violago Quasi-Parish and Divine Word Shrine on E. Rodriguez Avenue.
“Disinformation is the work of the devil, the father of lies,” Ayuban said, urging the public to seek the truth and reject falsehood and misleading claims.
“Let us then be vigilant in seeking and speaking the truth, for falsehood is never from God,” he said. “Let us work together to combat disinformation and uphold the truth with charity and responsibility.”
