Chiz, contractor asked: Explain P30-M donation
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will issue a show cause order against Centerways Construction and Development Inc. president Lawrence Lubiano on Sept. 11 for his P30 million donation to former Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero when the latter ran for the Senate in 2022.
“We will issue a show cause order … requiring him to explain if indeed he admitted making a P30 million donation and number two, why he should not be charged with an election offense by Comelec as this is a prohibited donation under Section 95,” Comelec Chair George Garcia said on Wednesday.
“After the contractor replies, we will ask the candidate to also explain,” Garcia added.
Under the Omnibus Election Code, candidates cannot source any “contribution for purposes of partisan political activity … directly or indirectly” from, among others, people who hold government contracts or subcontracts.
In a separate text message to reporters, Escudero said he would comply with whatever orders will be issued by the Comelec to prove he did not violate any law.
No intervention
Escudero previously confirmed Centerways Construction donated P30 million to his 2022 election campaign, but he said he did not help the firm secure government contracts for big-ticket flood control projects.
He made the clarification came after President Marcos revealed that P100 billion—about 20 percent of the government’s P545-billion flood mitigation budget from July 2022 to May 2025—was awarded to just 15 contractors, including Centerways Construction.
A review of the nearly 10,000 flood control projects during that period showed that the Sorsogon-based company established in 2009 bagged 85 projects worth P5.4 billion. The majority of its projects are located in the province.
During a hearing on Sept. 3 of the House tricommittee which is looking into the government’s flood control projects, Lubiano clarified that his donation to Escudero’s campaign was made in his personal capacity and not through Centerways Construction.
The poll body is also set to issue separate show cause orders to all 52 contractors who allegedly funded the campaigns of some candidates in 2022.
P6-B budget cut
The Comelec’s proposed P11.84 billion budget for 2026, meanwhile, has been approved by the Senate subcommittee on finance and is now “deemed submitted” to the plenary.
Garcia, speaking before the Senate subcommittee on finance hearing on Wednesday, said their initial request was for a budget of P18.07 billion, but only P11.84 billion was approved in the National Expenditure Program for next year.
He explained that the poll body would have used the additional funding to begin preparing, starting next year, for the 2028 national and local elections.
“Because of the budget cut, we can only afford one year of preparation before the elections [for president and vice president] in 2028,” Garcia said.
But he clarified that they will no longer seek the return of the P6.22 billion deducted from the Comelec’s proposed 2026 budget, saying that they would instead ask Congress for additional funding for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections scheduled in November next year.
