Comelec probes four contractors over 2022 poll donations

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Wednesday, 27 August, that it is investigating four contractors who allegedly donated to the campaigns of national candidates, including senators and party-lists, during the 2022 elections.

Without naming names, the poll body earlier flagged at least four entities that contributed to senatorial bets in the May 2022 elections despite the prohibitions under the Omnibus Election Code (OEC).

"We cannot reveal yet simply because we would like to verify from the Department of Public Works and Highways, more particularly if these contractors indeed have existing contracts in 2022 or existing contracts after the 2022 elections," Comelec Chair George Garcia explained.

"The investigation is still ongoing, [so] we'd like to look into other candidates, at least more particularly for national positions who might have received contributions from contractors," he said.

Garcia noted that the findings were still being verified, especially whether the donors had active contracts with the government.

There were about 90 candidates for senator in the 2022 elections, according to the Comelec chief, which is why the poll body "is carefully analyzing."

"Some of the candidates did not win, some of the candidates won the elections. That's why we're so careful in analyzing these data and information given to us," he added.

Under the OEC, "no contribution for purposes of partisan political activity shall be made directly or indirectly by a natural and juridical persons who hold contracts or sub-contracts to supply the government or any of its divisions, subdivisions, or instrumentalities, with goods or services, or to perform construction or other works."

The inquiry followed alleged irregularities in government-funded flood control projects involving contractors who donated to political campaigns.

One of the contractors has been linked to the campaign of Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero, while another in Bulacan was reported to have contributed to the campaign of Senator Joel Villanueva.

Both Escudero and Villanueva have denied receiving contributions from contractors.

Escudero, however, admitted that Centerways Construction and Development Inc. president Lawrence Lubiano was a friend who supported his 2022 campaign.

Centerways was among the five contractors identified by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as having secured the biggest haul of flood control projects, reportedly bagging P5.4 billion worth in the Bicol Region and Central Visayas alone.