The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to review its ruling that cleared Senator Chiz Escudero in a case involving a ₱30 million campaign donation from contractor Lawrence Lubiano.
COMELEC spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said in an interview that the poll body sees the high court’s move as an opportunity to clarify unresolved legal questions.
“Wini-welcome ng COMELEC dahil kung titignan niyo, wala pang case law, wala pang jurisprudence doyan. Kung sakali mang namamarapatin ang ating kagalang-galang na Supreme Court na desisyon na ‘yan, napakarami pong maso-solve,” he explained.
One key issue is determining when a candidate’s obligation begins in declaring donations. Under Republic Act 9369, a person who files a Certificate of Candidacy (COC) is considered a candidate only at the start of the official campaign period. This raises the question of whether contributions received before that period fall under election regulations.
Laudiangco also highlighted another gray area: corporate liability. Unlike the Corporation Code, the Omnibus Election Code does not include provisions like “piercing the corporate veil,” which would allow company officials to be held personally accountable instead of the corporation itself.
“Hindi naman po puwedeng mag-imbento ang COMELEC. Kaya nga po sabi namin, napakaraming malilinawan sa bagay na ito kaya wini-welcome po ng COMELEC kung sakali man po ito’y dedesisyunan ng Supreme Court,” Laudiangco added.
Legal analysts say the case could set a precedent, shaping future rules on campaign finance and corporate accountability in elections.