Comelec to ask 4 contractors to explain prohibited poll contributions

Commission on Elections Chairman George Erwin Garcia — Photo from Comelec/Facebook

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it will ask four contractors to explain their side for alleged prohibited campaign contributions, its chairman George Erwin Garcia said.

The matter regarding contractors surfaced as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and senators have revealed anomalous flood control projects across the country.

READ: Bulacan ‘most notorious’ in anomalous flood control projects — Lacson

Garcia said they received a tip that these four government contractors are giving campaign contributions to certain politicians.

He then noted that Section 95 (c) of the Omnibus Election Code prohibits campaign contribution from 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.

“We will have to write a letter, addressed for example, to the contractor for the contractors to explain their side,” Garcia said during an interview with One News on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Garcia noted that, so far, the law only applies to “natural and juridicial” campaign contributors.

“So, I will not go to the extent of saying and determining whether the liability the culpability extends to the candidate. In the meantime really the culpability and the liability covers the contractor or the one who gave the contribution or donation to the government or to the candidate,” he said.

“So as to whether it extends the candidates then we will make the necessary correction later,” he added. /das