Aside from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, six senators elected in the 2022 national and local elections were also found to have received campaign donations from government contractors, according to a study by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ).
The six lawmakers named in the PCIJ report are Senator Chiz Escudero, Senator Loren Legarda, Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri, Senator Robin Padilla, Senator Win Gatchalian, and Senate Deputy Minority Leader Joel Villanueva.
Escudero emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries, receiving ₱30 million from Lawrence Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc., and ₱10 million from Arnel Isilen Peil, owner of A.I.P. Construction—both tied to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects. He also took in ₱30 million from Maynard Ngu, CEO of Cosmic Technologies Inc., a contractor of the Department of Education (DepEd).
Villanueva declared ₱20 million from New San Jose Builders, a contractor of the National Housing Authority (NHA).
Gatchalian reported ₱9.5 million from Sergio Ortiz-Luis, board member of Waterfront Philippines Inc., which has ongoing government dealings.
Legarda, meanwhile, received the single biggest recorded donation: ₱100 million from Leandro Leviste, founder and former CEO of Solar Philippines, a government franchise holder.
Padilla accepted ₱9.75 million in total, including ₱1 million worth of mobile phones from Maynard Ngu and ₱8.75 million worth of airtime from GMA Network, donated by Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., former president of the Frabelle Group, whose subsidiaries also engage in government contracts.
Zubiri, on the other hand, declared a ₱20 million contribution from Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
The findings form part of PCIJ’s broader investigation into campaign financing and political influence in the Philippines.
As of press time, the six senators mentioned have yet to issue a response.