Comelec probes 2022 candidates over contractor contributions

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is investigating officials and candidates from 2022 who are said to have been funded by contractors of flood control projects.

According to Comelec Chair George Garcia, four national bets, including one tip-off from Bulacan, are currently under review.

“Kasi parang acceptable before, acceptable na meron talaga nagbibigay at lagi in-invoke ang private capacity. I may be the president of the company but at the same time I am also an individual, a friend, a classmate and therefore I can give financial help and support to the candidate,” he told Storycon of One News.

Garcia noted that donations from such contractors, even if they are related by family, are prohibited. He cited Section 95(c) of the Omnibus Election Code which states that a natural or juridical person with a government contract cannot give money or donations to political campaigns.

He clarified that only the contractors would be held liable for prohibited donations, while the candidates who received them would not face penalties.

The chairman also said that they are handling the matter with extreme care so as not to violate the privacy of private individuals named in the related documents.

Previously, Senate President Chiz Escudero came under fire for having P30 million in campaign funds from Centerways Construction and Development Inc., one of the top 15 flood control project holders, in the last elections. Escudero later confirmed that he is friends with the president of the corporation but denied any involvement in helping the firm secure contracts.