MANILA – Senate President Francis Escudero has rejected allegations that he influenced the awarding of government flood-control contracts to Centerways Construction, despite admitting the firm’s owner – a long-time friend from Sorsogon – gave him a P30-million campaign donation in 2022.
Escudero’s denial came after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. revealed that 15 contractors, including Centerways, cornered roughly P100 billion, or 20 percent, of the P545-billion national budget for flood mitigation projects from July 2022 to May 2025.
The Senate leader said the donation, given in a single lump sum, was purely political support and did not translate into political favors.
“That’s the same innuendo and insinuation that’s always being attached and said just because someone contributed or gave,” Escudero said in a press conference on Tuesday.
“He has long been my friend and acquaintance, and he has genuinely helped us — even long before this became an issue — and he’s really from Sorsogon,” he added.
When pressed if he helped the company win contracts during his current Senate term, Escudero pointed out that Centerways secured more projects during the period when he was not in office.
“The bigger amount he got was when I wasn’t here. I wasn’t here then,” he said.
Escudero insisted he has no business interest in the firm and urged scrutiny instead on public officials who own companies benefiting from government projects.
“I am not part of his business. Again, that’s the innuendo and insinuation being floated and propagated. Why don’t we look instead at which lawmakers and government officials are actual contractors and owners of companies that secured government contracts?” he said./PN
