Complaints filed vs Escudero over alleged misuse of over P350-M Sorsogon funds

Lawyer Marvin Aceron on Friday filed multiple complaints for graft, technical malversation, falsification of public documents, among others, against Senator Francis Escudero and other officials over alleged misuse of P352 million worth of public funds during the lawmaker's tenure as Sorsogon governor.

Escudero served as governor from 2019 to 2022.

Aceron said he filed the complaints with the Office of the Ombudsman based on the following findings of the Commission on Audit (COA) in its 2021 annual audit report on the Sorsogon provincial government: 

• P125.7 million worth of physically impossible, overlapping infrastructure contracts awarded to the same contractors with the same personnel and equipment;
• P15.4 million in national government funds-including P10 million in typhoon relief money—left unimplemented for as long as six years;
• P8.44 million worth of janitorial and laundry contracts supported by falsified documents, conflicting notarizations, and fabricated client references
• P1.66 million in Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) disbursements with defective signatures, missing authorizations, and improper implementation by Board Members; 
• P5.65 million in development projects improperly charged to the 20% Development Fund and outside the approved procurement plan;
• P195.7 million in unreliable Property, Plant, and Equipment accounts, including ghost assets and demolished structures still carried in the books.

"These are not mere accounting errors. These are deliberate acts that robbed the children of Sorsogon of their future," Aceron said.

Lawyer Marvin Aceron is suing ex-Sorsogon governor/Senator Francis Escudero & other Sorsogon officials for graft, technical malversation, over alleged misuse of over P350 million worth of Sorsogon LGU funds during Escudero's term as Sorsogon governor, citing COA findings @gmanews pic.twitter.com/fhBhnRDpWa

— Llanesca T. Panti (@llanescajourno) November 14, 2025

"The Ombudsman's office now has the opportunity to demonstrate that accountability is not merely an aspiration but a reality. Under new leadership committed to genuine reform, the Ombudsman can send a clear message: public office is public trust, and betrayal of that trust will not be tolerated," he added.

Also named as respondents in the complaint are the members of the Bids and Awards Committee; acting provincial accountant Rena Garcia; and provincial general services officer Rosalina Hainto, among others.

“Ang kasong ito ay bunga lahat sa COA findings of 2021 sa provincial government of Sorsogon. Ito ay aking pinag-aralan pagkatapos ko mag file ng ethics case [against Escudero] sa Senate at napansin ko parang mayroong pattern of corruption itong dating gobernador ng Sorsogon,” Aceron said.

(I studied this after I filed an ethics complaint and recognized that there is a pattern of corruption involving the governor of Sorsogon.)

“You can see this in the COA report posted on COA website. I see at least nine cases that can be filed. Ang pinaka-kahindik hindik, nakita ng COA mismo na merong dalawang contractor lang ang gumagawa sa Sorsogon. Papalit-palit lang sila sa 40 projects at nagkakahalaga ng mga P128 million,” he added.

(The most devastating for us here is that only two contractors are winning government projects in Sorsogon. They just take turns on these 40 projects worth P128 million.)

Aceron said this was not addressed by Escudero and Sorsogon officials cannot be blameless in such a situation.

“Ang sabi ng COA, hindi maaari na isang tao, halimbawa, isang engineer o contractor doon, nakalista sa tatlong project sabay-sabay, isang engineer lang. ‘Yung mga equipment na ginagamit sa mga project na ‘yan, 'yung mga personnel na gumagawa sa Sorsogon...isang set of employees. At hindi lang ito isang beses nangyari. Ito ay nangyari 40 beses,” he said.

(COA said the same engineer or contractor cannot be enlisted for three projects that are being constructed simultaneously. It is the same set of equipment and personnel for all these 40 projects.) 

“Bakit ganun? Bakit hindi nakasuhan? Bakit nagmamalaki pa po ang senador na ito na wala daw siyang kaso kahit isa? Ngayon, meron ka ng [kaso] at marami pa,” he added.

(Why were they not charged? And the senator is even taking pride that he is not facing any case. Now, he will face cases.)

Aceron called on Filipinos to join his cause in suing erring government officials, starting with scrutinizing the COA reports.

“Sana makita ng mga tao sa Pilipinas, pwede nyo po gawin ito kung may pulitiko na nag-aabuso [ng kapangyarihan]. Marami sila. Tingnan niyo yung COA reports, makikita nyo, nagtatrabaho ang COA. Essentially, ang ginagawa ko lang, kumukuha ako ng ebidensiya sa mga ahensiya ng gobyerno. Inaaral ko, at isinubmit ko rito sa Ombudsman para siya ang mag-imbestiga,” he said.

(I urge my fellow Filipinos to call out these politicians who abuse their power. We have a lot of them. I call on you to read COA reports,  and you will see that COA is doing its job. I get my evidence from government agencies and submit it to the Ombudsman for further probe.)

GMA News Online reached out to Escudero for comment on the matter and will publish it once available.

It was also Aceron who filed a complaint before the Senate committee on ethics against  Escudero over the P30-million campaign donation he received in 2022 from contractor Lawrence Lubiano.

Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development, Inc., earlier told a House inquiry that the donation came from his personal funds and not from the company.

Under the Omnibus Election Code, those who have contracts with the government are prohibited from making contributions to partisan political activity.—AOL, GMA Integrated News