Comelec checks with DPWH if 31 campaign donors won gov’t contracts

Commission on Elections. Inquirer file photo.

MANILA, Philippines — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Erwin Garcia on Wednesday revealed that a total of 31 contractors donated to the campaign of candidates in the 2025 midterm elections, with around 20 poll bets benefiting from them.

Garcia said that the Political Finance and Affairs Department (PFAD), the department responsible for reviewing and validating statements of contribution and expenditure of election candidates, had submitted the list of contractors to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to verify if they secured contracts with the government.

“Yesterday, our Political Finance and Affairs Department sent a letter again to the DPWH with the permission of the Commissioner-in-Charge for the 31 possible public works contractors for the 2025 national and local elections,” Garcia, speaking in Filipino, told reporters in an interview.

READ: Comelec to publish list of gov’t contractors who donated to 2022 bets

Garcia earlier explained that the certification from the DPWH is needed to determine whether contractors included in its list are government contractors or not.

He added that around 20 candidates received donations from these contractors. However, he did not specify the positions they ran for.

He then said that show-cause orders will be issued to the contractors who will be identified as having secured government contracts. After that, he said that the candidates who benefited from the donations will follow.

“Just because we issued a show cause does not mean that they are already guilty. We are asking them to explain. Those who received donations may have reasons and set up their defense,” Garcia added.

Garcia also said that the PFAD will recommend to the Comelec en banc the appropriate action to be taken against the contractors after the show-cause orders are issued.

The Comelec chief previously reiterated that government contractors are prohibited from donating to the campaign of election candidates. He said that this is a violation of Section 95(c) of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC).

Section 95(c) of the OEC states that “[n]o contribution for purposes of partisan political activity shall be made directly or indirectly by any of the following: (c) natural and juridical persons who hold contracts or subcontracts to supply the government or any of its divisions, subdivisions, or instrumentalities with goods or services, or to perform construction or other works.”

READ: Comelec: 27 gov’t contractors donate to 2022 poll bets

The last part of Section 95 also states that “[i]t shall be unlawful for any person to solicit or receive any contribution from any of the persons or entities enumerated herein.”

Meanwhile, Garcia also announced on Wednesday that 27 government contractors chipped in to fund candidates’ campaign funds in the 2022 national and local elections. He said this came from the DPWH’s recent certification.

He noted that the said contractors and candidates who received donations will be summoned to explain their actions. /mr