MANILA (September 23) — Malacañang stated on Monday, September 22, that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is open to an investigation into claims that he broke election laws by accepting millions in campaign contributions from government contractors.
In response to a revelation by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism that claims the president also profited from the illegal campaign donations, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro informed reporters that Marcos will not escape scrutiny even if investigations show him.
When asked if there should be “no sacred cows” in the investigation, Castro responded, “The president is willing to be investigated,” even if the evidence implicates Marcos.
Marcos, according to the Palace press officer, “is brave” and “knows what he is doing”. “Kung anuman ang maiimbestigahan dito, hindi rin po niya i-eexcuse ang sarili nya (And whatever is investigated here, he will not excuse himself),” Castro stated at the briefing.
According to a PCIJ report published on September 18, Marcos received P21 million in campaign contributions from two government contractors during the 2022 elections, despite the Omnibus Election Code’s provision prohibiting candidates from accepting donations from entities doing business with the government.
According to campaign finance documents filed with the Commission on Elections, construction billionaire Rodulfo Hilot Jr., owner of Rudhil Construction & Enterprises Inc., contributed P20 million to Marcos’ campaign, while Jonathan Quirante of Quirante Construction Corporation donated P1 million.
Following the 2022 elections, both companies witnessed significant increases in the number of government contracts they secured.
According to the PCIJ, Quirante Construction’s contracts increased by a billion pesos in one year, while Hilot’s company received P3.5 billion in 2024, up from P2.7 billion the previous year.
Castro stated Monday that the Palace’s approach is to “let the Comelec do its job” and “investigate” the suspected infractions.
To avoid conflicts of interest in project awarding, election rules prohibit candidates from taking contributions from persons or organizations with government contracts.
The poll body is presently investigating over 50 contractors who allegedly provided campaign contributions to electoral candidates during the 2022 election cycle.
The Comelec began investigating these contractor-related donations after it was revealed in congressional investigations that Sen. Chiz Escudero had got funds from a construction firm, namely Lawrence Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc.
On September 11, Marcos established an Independent Commission for Infrastructure to probe corruption in public works projects in response to legislative hearings that revealed extensive anomalies in flood-control contracts.
