Several senators and at least 15 members of the House of Representatives have ties to government contractors, according to a study by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ).
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Senators Joel Villanueva, and Christopher “Bong” Go were among those identified in the PCIJ report.
Escudero admitted that Lawrence Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc., donated ₱30 million to his 2022 senatorial campaign, as declared in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).
Lubiano’s firm was among the 15 contractors flagged by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for cornering 20% of flood control contracts. Escudero, however, denied involvement in government deals, while Lubiano said the donation was personal.
Villanueva also declared in his SOCE a ₱20 million donation from New San Jose Builders Inc. for his 2022 campaign. The senator denied ties to flood control projects, claiming the firm had no contracts with the government at the time. The PCIJ, however, reported otherwise.
Go, meanwhile, has been linked to CLTG Builders owned by his father and Alfrego Builders owned by his half-brother. The senator insisted he has no role in the operations of his family’s firms but said they should be held accountable if deficiencies are found. PCIJ cited records showing Alfrego Builders secured five government projects worth more than ₱327 million, while CLTG Builders had none.
The PCIJ also reported that at least 15 House members are connected to contractors. Among them is former appropriations chair Rep. Zaldy Co, co-founder of Sunwest Construction and Development Corporation, which was also flagged by Marcos. Co said he had already divested from the company, though his siblings remain involved in other contracting firms.
Other lawmakers were found to hold positions or have relatives in construction companies. These include:
• Rep. Ferdinand Beltran (Magbubukid), manager of Ferdstar Builders Contractors
• Rep. Jernie Jett Nisay (Pusong Pinoy), general manager of JVN Construction and Trading
• Rep. Carlos Loria (Albay 2nd District), president of Makapa Corporation
• Rep. Augustina Pancho (Bulacan 2nd District), whose family owns C.M. Pancho Construction Inc.
• Rep. Michaela Gonzales (Pampanga 3rd District), linked to A.D. Gonzales Jr. Construction and Trading Company
• Other lawmakers with relatives tied to contracting firms include Reps. Edwin Gardiola (CWS Party-list), Munir Arbison Jr. (Kapuso PM), Munir Arbison (Sulu 2nd District), Lani Mercado-Revilla (Cavite 2nd District), Jolo Revilla (Cavite 1st District), Bryan Revilla (Agimat Party-list), Caroline Agyao (Kalinga), Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez (1-Rider Party-list), and Cristina Angeles (Tarlac 2nd District).
Angeles’ office said she has divested from Northern Builders Construction Corporation, which her husband established decades ago and only became a corporation in 2023.
Maria Fe Mendoza, former dean of UP Diliman’s National College for Public Administration and Governance, said the findings underscore the need for scrutiny of flood control projects allegedly used for lawmakers’ personal gain.
“Twenty percent ng ating budget ay napupunta sa bribery, napupunta sa mga pulitikong gumagamit ng pera ng bayan para sa kanilang sariling interes. … Dapat talaga mayroong tiwala lahat ng tao sa gobyerno at sa mga institusyon nito,” Mendoza said.
