Chiz Escudero faces Comelec investigation anew

Sen. Francis Escudero is again facing an investigation in connection with the alleged illegal campaign donation he received for his 2022 senatorial bid, chairperson George Garcia said.

Speaking at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay, Garcia said Escudero’s case is under the Comelec’s law department.

“May case pa rin siya amin kasi yung aming ginawa na case motu proprio ni Comelec, base lang po sa na-gather naming dokumento. May nag-file din ng kaso, parang isang sikat na vlogger,” Garcia said Wednesday.

(He still has a case in Comelec because what we did before was motu proprio, based on documents we gathered. A prominent vlogger filed a case against the senator.)

“Nasa law department po namin. So doon ang nilakip na mga dokumento at ebidensya, and therefore ay mag-conduct ng preliminary investigation ang aming law department,” he added.

(It is in our law department, where the documents and evidence are, and therefore, our law department conducted a preliminary investigation.)

“Yan (previous investigation) po kasi una napunta po yan sa political finance and affairs department, moto propio kami mismo. Ito po may formal na nag-file ng kaso,” he added.

(The previous investigation was handled by our political finance and affairs department because it was under a motu proprio. This recent one is a formal case.)

GMA News Online has reached out to Escudero for comment.

The Comelec's Political Finance and Affairs Department (PFAD) has cleared Escudero and a contractor in connection with the P30 million campaign donations the senator received for his 2022 senatorial bid.

The PFAD recommended the termination of the investigation against Escudero and Centerways Construction and Development Inc. president Lawrence Lubiano, finding that Lubiano and Centerways are distinct legal entities.

In August, Escudero admitted to being friends with Lubiano and confirmed that he was one of his campaign contributors during his senatorial campaign in 2022.

But he has denied that he intervened in Lubiano’s business and contracts with the government.

Centerways Construction and Development Inc. is one of the 15 contractors that acquire 20% of the total P545 billion budget for flood control projects.

Escudero previously said Centerways bagged P5.4 billion in flood control projects in the Bicol Region and Central Visayas. He said this amount translated to 0.998% of the total contracts disclosed by Marcos.

On Thursday, the Office of the Ombudsman said it has ordered Escudero to answer the allegations linking him to the flood control mess.

“‘Yung kay Senator Chiz Escudero ay nasa preliminary investigation stage na po. There was an order to submit a counter affidavit, na-receive ng opisina ni Chiz Escudero,” Clavano said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(The Ombudsman probe on Senator Escudero has reached the preliminary investigation stage. He has been ordered to submit a counter affidavit.)

“I believe ‘yung panel po natin ay naghihintay na lang sa kanyang counter affidavit para umusad na po,” Clavano added.

(The Ombudsman is waiting for his counter-affidavit for the probe to move to the next stage.) –NB, GMA News