The Supreme Court (SC) has agreed to review a petition challenging a Commission on Elections (COMELEC) department decision that cleared Senator Chiz Escudero in connection with a ₱30-million campaign contribution from a contractor.
In a resolution dated February 18, the SC En Banc approved a motion for leave to file and admit the petition for review, filed by teacher Barry Tayam.
“Wala pa pong decision pero tinanggap po ng SC ‘yung petition for review. So far masaya po ako kasi kahit papaano [tinanggap],” Tayam said in a statement.
COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin Garcia welcomed the Supreme Court’s acceptance of the case, saying:
“We wanted to have a jurisprudence on this matter.”
Tayam had petitioned the SC to examine the recent decision by the COMELEC Political Finance and Affairs Department (PFAD), which recommended ending the investigation into Escudero and campaign donor Lawrence Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc.
The PFAD earlier concluded that Escudero and Lubiano were not in breach of the Omnibus Election Code, noting that the contractor and his company are separate legal entities.
Escudero’s camp has not yet issued a comment on the development.