Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero said he welcomes the chance to prove that no laws were violated in relation to the P30-million donation he received from a government contractor during his 2022 senatorial campaign.
“We welcome the opportunity to prove that, like the others who are similarly situated in the PCIJ (Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism) report on the 2022 elections, no law has been violated,” he said.
His statement came after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) issued a show cause order directing Escudero to explain the campaign contribution, which may constitute a violation of the Omnibus Election Code.
The order, confirmed by Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia, requires Escudero to appear before the poll body’s Political Finance and Affairs Department on October 13.
Garcia said the senator could attend the hearing personally or submit a sworn affidavit through his lawyer.
The investigation stems from a PCIJ report that identified Escudero among several candidates who received multimillion-peso contributions from donors linked to government contracts.
Lawrence Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development, Inc., earlier admitted before a House tri-committee that he donated P30 million to Escudero’s campaign in 2022.
The Comelec is now determining whether the donation violated Section 95 of the Omnibus Election Code, which prohibits campaign contributions from public or private entities engaged in government contracts.
Garcia said the outcome of the probe would depend on whether the donation is classified as a personal contribution or a corporate one.
Escudero has maintained that the contribution from Centerways Construction did not result in any government contracts for the company.
