Photo credit: George Erwin Garcia

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is taking action on a P30-million donation made to Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero during his 2022 campaign. According to Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia, the body will issue a show cause order to Lawrence Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction, who has admitted to making the contribution. The Comelec will also be writing to Escudero to get his explanation.

This is part of a wider investigation by the Comelec into campaign contributions from government contractors, which are prohibited by the Omnibus Election Code. Garcia revealed that the commission has already asked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for a list of contractors to verify their status.

The probe covers a total of 52 contractors. So far, the Comelec has identified 43 who donated to seven national candidates (senators and president) and 15 who gave to political parties and party-lists. The investigation also found nine construction firms that contributed to two gubernatorial and two vice gubernatorial candidates.

Garcia explained that the key issue is whether the donors are government contractors. He clarified that private contractors are allowed to make donations, but those with government contracts are not. The penalties for a violation can be severe, including one to six years in prison and a perpetual disqualification from public office for the candidate who received the funds.

The Comelec is preparing for potential legal defenses, such as claims that a donation was made in a private capacity. Garcia warned that under election law, which is a special law, good faith is not a defense. The commission's priority is to confirm the contractors’ status with the DPWH before issuing show cause orders to the donors and then to the candidates to get their side of the story. The Comelec hopes to wrap up this preliminary stage of the investigation before the end of September.