Comelec finds 31 possible contractors linked to 2022 campaign donations

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) investigation has so far uncovered 31 contractors who potentially donated to the campaign of candidates during the 2022 elections.

During the House appropriations’ budget briefing, Rep. Miro Quimbo requested an update on Comelec’s probe into potential links between contractors and public officials who ran in the past two elections.

Comelec Chair George Garcia said the poll body discovered 31 contractors as of August 30 for candidates who ran for national posts in the 2022 elections. 

“As of last Saturday po, 31 na possible contractors ang aming nakita sa mga kumandidato sa lahat ng national positions so far,” he said, promising the committee a list of the contractors’ names. 

(As of last Saturday, we have identified 31 possible contractors among those who have filed their candidacy for all national positions so far.)

Following the Marcos Jr. administration’s probe into failed and ghost flood control projects, reports checked whether top contractors linked to these projects had also funded candidates’ 2022 election campaigns. 

This led Comelec to scrutinize statements of contributions and expenditures (SOCE), which provide a breakdown of individual campaign donations. 

Garcia, however, noted that Comelec is looking beyond the top 15 construction firms that bagged around one-fifth of the P545 billion flood control budget from 2022 to 2025.  

Election offense. Under Section 95, the Omnibus Election Code prohibits contractors or subcontractors providing goods or services to the government from contributing to “partisan political activity.”

While the poll body has identified candidates who may have benefited from government contractor donations, Garcia said they still need to verify with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) whether the 31 contractors discovered so far held active contracts at the time of their contributions in the 2022 elections.

“[M]ay posibilidad na sila po ay contractors pero hindi po naman sila — wala naman po silang kontrata sa pamahalaan. Ligtas po sila doon,” he added. 

(They may possibly be contractors, but they are not — they don’t have any contracts with the government. They are safe in that regard.)

One of the challenges, he said, is the sheer number of contractors in the Philippines — not just in construction but also in services. In one case, they saw a donation to a candidate listed in the SOCE, only to later discover that the donor was the president of a contracting firm.

“May mga nagbibigay po ng donation. Presidente po pala sila ng company as a contractor pero syempre hindi po namin alam na siya po pala may-ari dahil marami pang contractor sa Pilipinas,” he said.  

(Some people make donations. It turns out they are the president of a company as a contractor, but of course, we didn’t know they were the owner because there are so many contractors in the Philippines.)

No names to publicize yet

Garcia also said Comelec will also examine whether the contractors held government contracts during the filing of the candidates’ certificates of candidacy (COC) and after the elections to determine whether they may have used winning candidates to secure contracts.

“Pero titignan po natin kung sila po ay may kontrata during the filing of the candidacy of the said candidates or after the candidacy, or after the election, para po makita natin, malaman natin kung nagamit ‘yung position at ‘yung pagkapanalo para mabigyan ng kontrata ‘yung naturang,” he added.  

(But we will look into whether they had contracts during the filing of the candidates’ candidacies, or afterward, or after the election, so we can see and determine whether the position and the election win were used to award contracts to them)

Garcia said the list of 31 contractors he will submit to the appropriations panel will not state which candidates received donations or contributions from government contractors, as they will have to verify them first with the DPWH.

Asked why Comelec is only focusing on contractors likely involved in the 2022 election campaigns of national candidates and not those who ran in 2025, Garcia explained that election offenses have a five-year prescriptive period.

For him, it would be appropriate, given the poll body's resources, to first review the extensive SOCE documents from the 2022 national elections, since the prescriptive period for those cases lasts only until 2027, before turning to the 2025 documents.

Some lawmakers tied to gov't contractors

According to a report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), some lawmakers who reportedly received donations from government contractors include Sen. Chiz Escudero and Sen. Joel Villanueva.

Lawrene Lubiano, owner and president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc — one of the top 15 flood control contractors — was among Escudero’s largest donors during his 2022 senatorial campaign. Escudero, now elected Senate president, previously said he has no involvement with the projects.

Villanueva, on the other hand, received donations from New San Jose Builders Inc. during his own 2022 senatorial campaign.

Sen. Bong Go was not reported to have received donations from CLTG Builders and Alfrego Builders and Supply. However, CLTG is reportedly owned by his father, and Alfrego by his half-brother, according to the report.

The PCIJ also identified at least 15 other lawmakers with relatives who are founders, owners, shareholders, managers or family owners of contracting firms.

These include Rep. Elizaldy Co (Ako Bicol Party-list), Rep. Edwin Gardiola (CWS Party-list), the three Revillas of Cavite, and Rep. Rodge Gutierrez (1-Rider Party-list).

Flood control projects have become the talk of the town as roads and communities continue to suffer from severe flooding even during brief rains. After experiencing the failure of several flood control projects, Filipinos are demanding accountability, knowing very well it is taxpayers' money funding those projects.

Both chambers of Congress have launched parallel investigations into ghost infrastructure projects that have plagued the country for years, summoning contractors and seeking to uncover alleged corruption and bid-rigging that allowed a few to secure these projects.