Comelec: Show cause order issued vs Chiz over P30M campaign donation

The Commission on Election (Comelec) has issued a show cause order (SCO) against Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero to explain the P30 million in campaign donation he received from a contractor for his 2022 senatorial bid.

This was disclosed by Comelec Chairman George Garcia in an interview on Dobol B TV on Saturday.

“Yes, ito ay naipadala na kahapon (this was issued yesterday),” Garcia said.

The poll body chief said the hearing for Escudero was set on October 13, 2025.

Escudero on Saturday welcomed Comelec's move.

“We welcome the opportunity to prove that—like the others who are similarly situated in the PCIJ report on the 2022 elections—no law has been violated," he said.

The Comelec chief earlier said that an SCO will be issued against the senator after Centerways Construction and Development Inc. president Lawrence Lubiano, through his legal counsel, met with the poll body last week. 

Earlier, the Comelec issued an SCO against Lubiano asking him to explain his millions-worth of campaign donation to Escudero and defend why he should not be charged of an election offense for violating Section 95 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC). He was also asked to appear before the Political Finance and Affairs Department (PFAD). 

Lubiano, in a House hearing, previously admitted donating P30 million to Escudero's senatorial bid in 2022 during a House hearing. However, he said the donation came from his own pocket.

Escudero had said Lubiano was his campaign contributor in the 2022 elections. However, the senator said he had no involvement in any flood control projects in his home province of Sorsogon and other parts of the country.

“Kinakailangan ibangga natin ‘yung mga depensa na ganyan versus ‘yung probisyon ng Omnibus Election Code (We need to check their defense versus the provisions of the Omnibus Election Code),” Garcia said during the radio interview.

Section 95 of the Omnibus Election Code prohibits "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" from making political donations.

“‘Yan ang pinaka-puno’t dulo ng magiging desisyon ng Comelec. Mayroon pa bang distinction, mayroon pa bang kaibahan ‘yung private capacity ng isang tao versus ‘yung kanyang pagiging opisyal, may-ari ng kompanya na ipinagbabawal ng ating probinsyon ng batas?” Garcia said.

(That is the end goal of the decision of Comelec. Is there a distinction or difference between the private capacity of a person versus his being an official or owner of a company prohibited by the provisions of the law?)

Centerways not only holds government contracts; it is among the 15 contractors named by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. as having been awarded 20% of the flood control project contracts issued by the government.

Garcia, who earlier denied singling out Escudero, also said Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte were among those being investigated by the poll body over alleged illegal donations to their 2022 campaign. 

An earlier report from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism alleged that Marcos and Duterte received tens of millions of pesos in campaign contributions from public works contractors despite a provision in the OEC which prohibits those seeking public office from accepting contributions from entities that do business with the government.

The Palace said Marcos is willing to be probed over the reported contributions. —KG, GMA Integrated News