Palace Speaks on Campaign Finance Records Issue vs. Pres. Bongbong Marcos amid the Flood Control Mess
BONGBONG MARCOS – The President is ready for the investigation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructures (ICI) on the reported campaign donation from contractors as per Malacañang.
Marcos Jr. is disappointed and angry over the flood control issue in the Philippines. Several ‘ghost’ and substandard flood control projects funded by the government were discovered amid the issue.
Previously, Marcos Jr. stressed that the Philippines has already spent more than P500-billion for the flood control projects. According to him, around P100 billion from the said total spending went to 15 contractors:
- Legacy Construction Corporation
- Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp.
- St. Timothy Construction Corporation
- QM Builders
- EGB Construction Corporation
- Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc.
- Centerways Construction and Development Inc.
- Sunwest, Inc.
- Hi-Tone Construction & Development Corp.
- Triple 8 Construction & Supply, Inc.
- Royal Crown Monarch Construction & Supplies Corp.
- Wawao Builders
- MG Samidan Construction
- L.R. Tiqui Builders, Inc.
- Road Edge Trading & Development Services
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives invited the contractors flagged by Pres. Bongbong Marcos to the flood control investigations. Ahead of the probe, then-Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero admitted to receiving a P30-million campaign donation from the Centerways Construction, one of the firms cited by the President.
According to Escudero, he and the contractor are long-time friends and both of them are from Sorsogon. The contractor claimed that his campaign donation was from his own pockets and not from the construction firm. Amid the issue, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) clarified that contractors with an ongoing contract with the government are prohibited to donate for the campaign of candidates in an election.
However, recently, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) reported that Pres. Bongbong Marcos received campaign donation from contractors. Citing the campaign finance records of Marcos Jr., the PCIJ stressed that the President received the following:
- P20 million from Rodulfo Hilot Jr., the owner of the Rudhil Construction & Enterprises Inc. which is based in Zamboanga del Sur
- P1 million from Jonathan Quirante, the owner of Cebu-based construction firm Quirante Construction Corp.
Amid the issue that Pres. Bongbong Marcos allegedly received more than P20 million campaign donation from contractors, Malacañang defended the Chief Executive. According to Palace press officer undersecretary Claire Castro, Marcos Jr. is ready for the investigation.
“Let the Commission on Elections (Comelec) do its job – investigate,” the Malacañang official said based on a report on PhilStar.
Atty. Claire Castro stressed that Pres. Bongbong Marcos is courageous. Based on the report, the Malacañang press official also emphasized that the President knows what he is doing and will not excuse himself from any investigation.
“Matapang po ang Pangulo. Alam po niya ang kanyang ginagawa at kung ano man maaaring imbestigahan dito, hindi niya i-e-excuse ang sarili niya,” Castro expressed.
Amid the issue over the anomalous flood control projects in the country, the Chief Executive ordered the creation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure to probe the government-funded infra projects. Pres. Bongbong Marcos stressed that former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and and his allies will not be spared from the flood control investigation.