A lawyer has filed criminal and administrative complaints against Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero and several Sorsogon provincial officials over alleged irregularities involving ₱352 million worth of 2021 infrastructure projects during his tenure as governor.
Lawyer Marvin Aceron, citing the 2021 Commission on Audit (COA) report, accused Escudero and members of the provincial bids and awards committee of graft, technical malversation, falsification of public documents, and fraud against the public treasury.
“Ito ay mag-isa kong inaral … at napansin ko parang mayroong pattern of corruption itong dating gobernador ng Sorsogon,” Aceron said, noting that he previously filed an ethics case against Escudero in the Senate over a ₱30-million campaign donation.
The complaint also seeks administrative charges for gross neglect of duty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and dishonesty.
Aceron cited COA findings, including
• ₱125.7 million paid for physically impossible and overlapping projects awarded to the same contractors using identical personnel and equipment;
• ₱15.4 million in idle national funds, including ₱10 million for typhoon relief left unimplemented for up to six years;
• ₱8.44 million in janitorial and laundry contracts backed by falsified documents and fabricated references;
• ₱1.66 million in TUPAD disbursements with defective signatures and improper implementation by provincial board members;
• ₱5.65 million in development projects wrongly charged to the 20% development fund;
• ₱195.7 million in unreliable property, plant, and equipment entries, including “ghost assets” and demolished structures still listed in government records.
The complaints are now pending before the Department of Justice for evaluation.