Statement of Comelec on Campaign Donations to Candidates during Elections Period
COMELEC – The Commission on Elections spoke on the campaign donations to candidates amid the issue against Senate President Chiz Escudero.
During his 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Bongbong Marcos admitted that some flood control projects in the Philippines failed. Thus, they resulted to the flooding amid the wrath of the Southwest Monsoon and the heavy downpour brought by tropical storms Crising, Dante, and Emong.
Recently, over a week after his 4th SONA, Pres. Bongbong Marcos revealed that the country has spent P545 billion already for the flood control projects since July 2022 until May 2025. The President admitted that it is an “enormous” amount.
Aside from revealing the expenses of the country for the flood control projects, Marcos Jr. also revealed that 20% of the P545-billion flood control projects of the government went to the same 15 contractors. He also claimed that there were similar projects costs despite the terrain differences. Here are the 15 contractors cited by the President:
- Legacy Construction Corporation
- Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp.
- St. Timothy Construction Corporation
- QM Builders
- EGB Construction Corporation
- Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc.
- Centerways Construction and Development Inc.
- Sunwest, Inc.
- Hi-Tone Construction & Development Corp.
- Triple 8 Construction & Supply, Inc.
- Royal Crown Monarch Construction & Supplies Corp.
- Wawao Builders
- MG Samidan Construction
- L.R. Tiqui Builders, Inc.
- Road Edge Trading & Development Services
Furthermore, Pres. Bongbong Marcos also claimed that five (5) flood control project contractors got government deals in almost all regions in the country. They are the Legacy Construction Corporation, Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp., St. Timothy Construction Corporation, EGB Construction Corporation, and Road Edge Trading & Development Services.
Marcos Jr. assured that the administration will investigate the contractors which have projects in almost the entire nation. Ahead of the probe, Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero admitted receiving P30 million as campaign donation from one flood control project contractor cited by the President. He denied helping the contractor to win government deals.
According to Escudero, the owner of the Centerways Construction and Development Inc. is a long-time friend of his and he is also from Sorsogon. The Senate President denied any involvement in any construction business. Amid the issue, the Commission on Elections or Comelec spoke on the campaign donations for candidates.
Comelec chairperson George Garcia claimed that government contractors are prohibited from contributing to the candidates. Based on a report on GMA News, the action is a violation of the Section 95 (c) under the Omnibus Election Code.
Article Xi of the Omnibus Election Code states:
“SECTION 95. Prohibited contributions. – No contribution for purposes of partisan political activity shall be made directly or indirectly by any of the following:”
“(c) 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.”
According to the Comelec Chairman, contractors of the government and even any political subdivision or anyone with involved in a deal with the state most especially with regards to public works are prohibited to contribute to an election candidate.
“Sila ay bawal mag-contribute sa isang kandidato yun pong mga contractors ng pamahalaan at kahit na anong political subdivision o kung sinuman yung may kontrata sa pamahalaan lalo na po kung ito ay public works,” Garcia expressed.
Based on the report, Comelec chairperson George Garcia stressed that a donation from government contractor is an election offense which is punishable from one (1) to six (6) years of imprisonment. Furthermore, the license or business permit of the firm may also be cancelled.
However, Garcia refused to respond when asked about the punishment for the government official who received a campaign donation from a government contractor. According the Comelec Chairman, he will not respond to the question now because he really knows that someone might raise other queries and file a complaint because of these developments.
Amid the issue, Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero called his publicized link to a flood control project contractor allegedly a “demolition job”.