• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero submitted on Tuesday his response to the show cause order of the Commission on Election asking him to clarify the circumstances surrounding the P30 million campaign donation he received from a contractor prior to the 2022 national elections.
“We’re filing our submission early to respect the COMELEC process. Our position is clear: the donation was legal, fully declared, and follows long-standing practice. The law is on our side, and we are confident the COMELEC will find no fault,” said Atty. Ramon Esguerra, counsel of Escudero.
In his counter-affidavit, Escudero claimed that he only accepted the P30-million donation from a contractor during his 2022 election campaign, believing that the money came from a private fund, according to Comelec chairman George Garcia.
Garcia added that Escudero also explained in the affidavit that he accepted the donation from contractor Lawrence Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc., since he is also friends with him.
Esguerra also said that Senator Escudero is open and willing to cooperate with the Comelec, to shed light on the truth.
“Ang pagsusumite ng counter affidavit ay hakbang tungo sa mabilis at patas na paglilinaw ng isyu, nang hindi kinakailangang umabot pa sa pormal na kaso. (Submitting a counter-affidavit is a step toward a speedy and fair resolution of the issue without having to go to a formal case),” Esguerra further said.*
