Escudero: P30-M donation from contractor-friend from private fund
Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero merely reiterated in his explanation to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that he accepted the P30 million donation of a contractor-friend for his Senate campaign in May 2022 because he believed the money was given by the donor in a “personal capacity.”
Talking to reporters about Escudero’s affidavit, which his lawyer earlier submitted to the poll body, Comelec Chair George Garcia said that the senator also explained that he accepted the donation from Lawrence Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc., because he is a friend.
“This is what he has been saying publicly in interviews, that he accepted the money in his belief that it is a private fund and was given by his friend, Mr. Lubiano, in a personal capacity,” Garcia said.
“For our part, we will weigh this; we will determine if this is a valid defense or a violation of Section 95C of the Omnibus Election Code,” he added.
The said section prohibits contributions from any public or private institution, including contractors, to any political candidate or political party.
In a statement sent to reporters also on Tuesday, Escudero’s legal counsel, Ramon Esguerra, said they filed the affidavit out of respect for the “Comelec process.”
Lawyer’s stand
“Our position is clear: the donation was legal, fully declared, and follows long-standing practice. The law is on our side, and we are confident the Comelec will find no fault,” Esguerra added.
The Comelec earlier issued a show-cause order to Escudero, directing him to explain the P30-million campaign donation he received from Lubiano for his Senate comeback in May 2022. At the time, Escudero was governor of Sorsogon, where Centerways Construction is based.
The senator has consistently said he violated no law in accepting the donation, adding that the construction company was not able to secure any flood control projects from the government.
But data taken from the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website of President Marcos showed that of nearly 10,000 flood control projects under his administration or from 2022 to 2025, Centerways Construction, which was established in 2009, bagged 85 projects worth P5.4 billion. Fifty-five of the projects were in Sorsogon.
