Comelec: 4 Senate bets in 2025 polls received donation from contractors

At least four senatorial candidates during the 2025 May midterm elections allegedly received campaign donations from contractors, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Monday.

Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said the poll body flagged 21 contractors who donated to the campaign of at least seven candidates in the midterm polls. Of the figures, four were senatorial bets and two were party-list organizations.

“Sa 21, nasa anim o pito ang involved na mga kandidato. National at mayroong party-lists,” Garcia told reporters.

(Of the 21, six or seven candidates are involved ... national and party-list [candidates].)

The Comelec earlier said it has started investigating the Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCEs) of the candidates who ran for the 2025 May elections.

This developed as the Comelec awaits the certification from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), determining if the 55 contractors that allegedly donated to candidates during the 2022 elections were government contractors.

The DPWH has yet to issue the certification.

“Hopefully, bago mag-Friday matapos ang imbestigasyon sa natitira pang ibang SOCE ng 2025,” Garcia added.

(Hopefully before Friday, the investigation into the 2025 SOCEs will be finished.)

Omnibus Election Code

Contractors in government projects are prohibited from contributing funds to candidates under the Omnibus Election Code.

Under Article XI Section 95 covering electoral contributions and expenditures of the Omnibus Election Code states:

"SECTION 95. Prohibited contributions. – No contribution for purposes of partisan political activity shall be made directly or indirectly by any of the following:

(c) 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. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News