Inabsuwelto ng Political Finance and Affairs Department (PFAD) ng Commission on Elections si Senador Francis “Chiz” Escudero at kaibigan nitong contractor sa ano mang paglabag sa batas kaugnay ng P30 milyong donasyong pangkampanya na natanggap ng mambabatas para sa kaniyang 2022 senatorial bid.
Sa siyam na pahinang resolusyon, inirekomenda ng PFAD ang pagtatapos ng imbestigasyon laban kay Escudero at kay Centerways Construction and Development Inc. president Lawrence Lubiano, matapos matukoy na magkaibang legal entities sina Lubiano at ang Centerways.
“In view of the foregoing, this Office recommends termination of this investigation as there being no evidence to support a complaint that Section 95(c) of the OEC was violated by respondents Lubiano and Escudero,” saad sa desisyon.
Ipinagbabawal ng Section 95 ng Omnibus Election Code ang "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" sa pagbibigay ng political donations.
Bagama’t inamin ni Lubiano na nagbigay siya ng P30 milyon para sa kandidatura ni Escudero, sinabi niya na ang donasyon ay mula sa sarili niyang pera.
Sa desisyon ng PFAD, sinabi nito na hindi nilabag nina Escudero at Lubiano ang Omnibus Election Code.
“The mere fact that respondent Lubiano serves as Centerways' president does not justify disregarding their separate juridical personality in the absence of clear evidence of fraud, bad faith, or any act aimed at evading legal obligations,” saad ng PFAD.
“The record is devoid of any such proof and as such, the claim that respondent Lubiano acted as an alter-ego of Centerways in order to circumvent Section 95 of the OEC lacks merit,” dagdag nito.
Sinabi ng Comelec department na ginamit lamang ni Lubiano ang kaniyang karapatan nang magbigay siya ng kontribusyon kay Escudero. Wala rin umanong ebidensiya na mula sa Centerways ang naturang kontribusyon.
“In the absence of such evidence, this Office cannot presume such fact. Mere allegation, unaccompanied b y any proof, is insufficient to disregard the separate legal personality of either respondent Lubiano or Centerways,” patuloy nito.
Sinabi naman ni Escudero na nagpalakas ng tiwala niya sa institusyon ang naturang desisyon ng Comelec PFAD.
“Since we first ran for public office in 1998, we have worked to consistently comply with our election laws because this is the foundation of public trust,” saad ng senador sa pahayag.
“The Commission on Elections decision affirms what we have always believed and practiced—that transparency, honesty, and adherence to the rules matter, and that the truth prevails when the process is fair,” dagdag pa niya.
Nitong Agosto, inamin ni Escudero na kaibigan niya si Lubiano na isa sa kaniyang campaign contributors sa nakaraang senatorial elections.
Pero itinanggi niya na nakikialam siya o nagbigay ng pabor sa negosyo ng kaibigan.— Joahna Lei Casilao/FRJ GMA Integrated News
