One of the 24 sitting senators of the Republic of the Philippines is Sen. Joel Villanueva, widely regarded as an education and labor reformist who is currently under fire for both recent and decades-old allegations. Emmanuel Joel Jose Villanueva hails from the well-known Villanueva family of Bocaue, Bulacan—a town that serves as their religious and political stronghold. He is the second of four children of evangelist Eddie Villanueva, founder of the Jesus Is Lord Church Worldwide and now mayor of Bocaue. The Villanueva family remains deeply rooted in both faith and politics, with his brother Jon-Jon Villanueva and his late sister Joni Villanueva-Tugna also having served as mayors of their hometown.
Before entering politics, Villanueva was a preacher and youth leader within the JIL movement. He first entered public service as the CIBAC Party-list representative from 2002 to 2010, championing anti-corruption and education reform initiatives. This paved the way for his appointment as Director General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) from 2010 to 2015, where he worked to expand technical-vocational programs across the country. His national government experience propelled him to the Senate in 2016, where he placed second overall, and later secured reelection in 2022.
Throughout his tenure, Villanueva’s legislative record has focused on empowering workers and improving education through measures such as the Telecommuting Act, the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act, and the Philippine Qualifications Framework Act. However, his political career has not been without controversy. Only months into his first term as senator, the Office of the Ombudsman under Conchita Carpio-Morales ordered his dismissal over the alleged misuse of ₱10 million in Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) money during his CIBAC years.
Recent reports, however, revealed that the ruling was quietly reversed in 2019 by Ombudsman Samuel Martires. This issue resurfaced when Villanueva, along with other sitting senators, was recently linked by former Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office engineer Henry C. Alcantara to anomalous flood control projects.
