Comelec issues show cause order to top gov't contractor Lawrence Lubiano for P30M Chiz Escudero campaign
The Commission on Elections on Sept. 11, issued a show cause order to Lawrence Lubiano, the ousted Senate president Chiz Escudero's friend and top campaign contributor, whose company was among the government's top contractors for flood control projects.
In its order, Comelec is asking Lubiano to explain his P30 million donation to Escudero in the 2022 senatorial elections and why he shouldn't be charged for violating Section 95 of the Omnibus Election Code.
The section prohibits campaign contributions from "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."
Lubiano was given 10 days to respond to the show cause order.
Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said they've also invited Lubiano for a formal meeting.
"Maliban sa written explanation, maganda siguro kung maipatawag din upang magkaroon ng formal meeting," Garcia said in an ambush interview. "May mga bagay na kailangan na ikumpirma ng commission sa kaniya kahit na mayroon siyang pag-amin sa Mababang Kapulungan noong siya ay humarap dito. Kailangan may maitanong sa kaniya para makita namin ang extent ng kaniyang contribution at donation."
Lubiano, the president of Centerways Construction and Development Incorporated, at a House committee hearing, claimed that his donation came from his own pocket and not from his company.
Following Lubiano's claim, Garcia pointed out that it doesn't matter where the funds came from since the OEB prohibits people with government contracts from making donations.
Garcia said they also requested the DPWH for certifications to know whether 52 contractors who donated to 2022 political candidates were engaged in government contracts at the time.
After the DPWH's certification and Lubiano's response, Garcia noted that they will also issue a show cause order to Escudero.
Flood control mess
The issue in the government's flood control projects began in July as the rains triggered massive flooding in the metro. At the time, Sen. Ping Lacson told dzBB that since 2011, about P1 trillion allocated for flood control projects may have been lost to corruption.
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., in his fourth State of the Nation Address, called out government officials involved in the would-be corruption in flood control projects.
Marcos ordered the DPWH to "immediately submit" to him the list of flood control projects from every region that were started and completed in the last three years. He said a project monitoring committee will evaluate this list to determine the failures, as well as the unfinished and ghost projects.
Marcos launched the Sumbong sa Pangulo website, where the public can track and report anomalous flood control projects and other possible corrupt practices.
According to the website, there are 9,855 flood control projects totalling P545.64 billion since July 2022. Of that number, 6,021 projects worth over P350 billion don't specify the exact type of flood control being built, while several others in different locations also have the same contract cost.
Marcos also said there are 15 contractors that exclusively bagged 20% of all flood control projects worth P100 billion in the last three years.
On Sept. 11, the president signed an executive order creating the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, which will investigate the DPWH and its anomalous flood control projects.
