MANILA, Philippines — Twenty-seven government contractors are expected to explain today their alleged illegal donations to candidates in the 2022 polls, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
“This is due process. Mere submission of the memorandum is enough to justify compliance,” Comelec Chairman George Garcia said yesterday.
Show-cause orders will be issued to the candidates who received illicit funds, he noted.
Six senatorial candidates, five party-list groups, four congressmen, three gubernatorial bets, two vice governors and a councilor reportedly received campaign donations from the 27 contractors.
Bill bans party-list contractors from Congress
State contractors should be disqualified from being a party-list nominee, the House’s progressive Makabayan bloc proposed yesterday.
House Bill 6193 seeks to ensure that party-list nominees belong to the “marginalized and underrepresented sector of society.”
Party-list Reps. Antonio Tinio (Alliance of Concerned Teachers), Sarah Elago (Gabriela) and Renee Louise Co (Kabataan) filed the measure amid the investigation into resigned congressman Elizaldy Co.
Co is allegedly the mastermind behind the mangling of the national budget, wherein insertions for anomalous flood control projects became kickbacks for state officials, contractors and engineers.
“There is an urgent need to restore the party-list system to its original purpose, which is to give marginalized sectors representation and voice in Congress,” the lawmakers said.
HB 6193 also bans former vice mayors, vice governors, governors, district representatives, senators, vice presidents and presidents from being nominated by party-list groups as their representative in Congress.
The proposed measure also covers people related to incumbent state officials, up to the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity, as well as those who served from the position of bureau chief up to any position in the Cabinet within five years from the party-list elections they are being nominated for, former provincial police directors, Armed Forces battalion commanders or any higher position within five years from the party-list polls they are being nominated for and candidates whose income is more than the base pay of a party-list representative in the lower chamber.– Jose Rodel Clapano