Senate President Francis Escudero on Tuesday admitted that one of the contractors among the top 15 in the list disclosed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is a friend and campaign donor but denied involvement in any flood control projects in his home province of Sorsogon or elsewhere in the country.
Escudero said Lawrence Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc., was his campaign contributor in the 2022 elections.
“For the record, I have nothing to do with identifying, making a program of work, bidding, awarding, paying, or inspecting any government project whether in Sorsogon or outside the province of Sorsogon,” he told a press conference.
Centerways Construction and Development, Escudero said, bagged P5.4 billion in flood control projects in the Bicol Region and Central Visayas. He said this amount translated to 0.998 percent of the total contracts disclosed by Marcos.
He also emphasized that most of the contracts awarded to Centerways were obtained before he became a senator again. Before seeking another term in the upper chamber, Escudero served as governor of Sorsogon from 2019 to 2022.
Escudero linked the alleged smear campaign to a recent article connecting him to a Sorsogon-based contractor who reportedly received P5.4 billion worth of flood control projects.
“I am not a contractor. I have not been part of any business related to construction or supplying the government since I entered public service in 1998,” he said in an interview. “In fact, the larger portion of the funds allegedly obtained by the Sorsogon-based contractor was acquired before I returned to the Senate in 2022.”
Despite this, Escudero confirmed that the contractor had donated P30 million to his campaign, information previously reported in 2022. He maintained there was nothing illegal about the donation, arguing that the issue was being revived and tied to unrelated allegations.
Escudero questioned why the report singled out the Sorsogon contractor instead of other companies or lawmakers who may have ties to government projects. He also pointed out that the amount represented less than one percent of the P550 billion in flood control contracts awarded since 2018, as cited by Marcos.
“Those who want the impeachment are likely the ones who were hurt or affected by my speeches and actions in recent days. That is clear,” he said when asked who he believes is behind the demolition job.
“In my 27 years in Congress, in government, and in the Senate, what is wrong has always been wrong for me, and what is right has always been right. Whether a friend, an acquaintance, or not, I treat everyone equally,” he added.
He urged scrutiny of lawmakers and government officials who are actual contractors or owners of firms winning public works deals, and insisted that if any illegal acts were committed, those involved should be held accountable regardless of personal ties.
Escudero expressed confidence that his Senate colleagues could see through what he called baseless attacks designed to undermine him politically.
“I firmly believe they can see through this. They see it as mere mudslinging and part of a demolition job faced not only by myself, but also by some of my colleagues who have taken a stand against the impeachment sought by certain groups, sectors, and individuals,” he said.
Escudero also questioned the “malicious and ill-timed” release of the report linking him to Lubiano.
