A private lawyer has filed an ethics complaint against former Senate President Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero over a P30 million campaign donation from Lawrence Lubiano, who owns 99.331 percent of the controversial Centerways Construction.
Lawyer Marvin Aceron filed the complaint before the Senate panel on ethics on Thursday, noting that the Senate is a constitutional guardian of public trust and thus, it cannot be weakened by ‘tolerance of conduct that corrodes confidence in its members.’
In the 21-page complaint, Aceron listed five grounds for the complaint: First, he said Escudero’s conduct is unbecoming for a member of the upper chamber, simply listing it as ‘disorderly behavior.’
‘Accepting and benefiting from a P30 million donation from a government contractor that later amassed concentrated public contract in respondent’s political bailiwick constitutes conduct unbecoming and brings the Senate into disrepute, regardless of criminal liability,’ the complaint states.
He likewise noted conflict of interest and improper influence in his complaint. Citing Republic Act No. 6713, Aceron argued that public officials are prohibited from having financial or material interests that may be affected by their office and from soliciting or accepting favors that may influence official functions.
Another ground, according to the lawyer, is Escudero’s supposed violation of the Omnibus Election Code.
‘The Omnibus Election Code bars juridical persons holding government contracts from making campaign contributions. When a contractor’s controlling stockholder furnishes extraordinary personal donations and the corporate books are missing or noncompliant, the line between corporate and personal is blurred,’ said Aceron.
Meanwhile, Aceron also noted the integrity of public procurement and corporate compliance. He said that if Centerways submitted inaccurate, misleading, or fraudulent [documents] for eligibility yet bid and won, procurement integrity is compromised.
‘Respondent’s acceptance of a massive donation from the firm’s owner during the same period erodes public trust in the fairness of awards and casts doubt in official impartiality,’ said Aceron.
Lastly, Aceron argued that Lubiano’s claims that the donation came from personal funds ‘cannot stand.’
With these, Aceron said that the case presents the Senate panel on ethics with a straightforward question: Should a senator be permitted to accept P30 million from the 99.331 percent owner of a government contractor?
Aceron said the answer ‘must be no.’
Noting all of these, Aceron prayed that the panel issue subpoena duces tecum compelling the production of the following:
All versions of Centerways’ audited financial statements filed with SEC (2019-2025) including filing dates, any amendments and all notes and schedules
Complete audit working papers and engagement letters from external auditors
All related party transaction documentation between Centerways and Lubiano
Bank records showing transfers between Centerways and Lubiano during December 2021 to May 2022
All bid documents submitted by Centerways to the DPWH and other procuring entities
BIR returns showing dividend declarations by Centerways and dividend income reported by Lubiano
PCAB license records and supporting financial capacity documentation
Aceron likewise requested that the panel compel testimony from Lubiano and explain under oath the following, among others:
The P35 million reduction in 2022 beginning retained earnings
The source of the P30 million political donation
The nature and terms of the P70 million stockholder advances
Aceron said upon finding ethical violations, the panel must recommend sanctions under the Constitution and Senate rules, including censure, reprimand, suspension of not exceeding 60 days, or expulsion with the constitutionally required vote as circumstances warrant.
He likewise noted the need for the Senate to transmit relevant findings to the appropriate prosecutorial agencies should evidence of criminal violations emerge during the investigation.
Newly-elected panel on ethics chairperson Senator JV Ejercito, meanwhile, told the Inquirer that there is a need to discuss the complaint with other members of the committee.
‘Anyway, [the] Independent Commission for Infrastructure is already actively pursuing the cases,’ said Ejercito.
Escudero previously confirmed that Centerways Construction donated P30 million to his 2022 election campaign, but he said he did not help the firm secure big-ticket flood-control projects with the government.
His clarification came after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. revealed that P100 billion-about 20 percent of the government’s P545-billion flood mitigation budget from July 2022 to May 2025-was awarded to just 15 contractors, including Centerways Construction.
But in a separate statement also issued Thursday, Escudero said the filing of a complaint against him no longer came as a surprise.
‘Ito ang kabayaran sa pagbanggit ko sa pangalan ni Martin Romualdez at sa pagbubunyag sa katotohanan. This is just part of the harassment from his minions,’ said Escudero.
(This is the price I have to pay for mentioning the name of Martin Romualdez and for revealing the truth. This is just a part of the harassment from his minions.)
‘This isn’t about ethics. This is political retribution,’ Escudero emphasized.
The former Senate chief said the complaint is still ‘part of their script and a desperate smokescreen’
‘I will expose it for the politically motivated sham that it is,’ he said.
Escudero ended his statement with the hashtag that reads: ‘Selective Justice’ and ‘Labanan ang script ni Martin.’