Make this your preferred source to get more updates from this publisher on Google.
Poll watchdog Kontra Daya on Friday filed a complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Vice President Sara Duterte, and their campaign donors in the 2022 national elections.
Representatives of Kontra Daya lodged the complaint with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Law Department in Intramuros, Manila. Aside from Marcos and Duterte, also named respondents were Rodolfo Hilot Jr., president of Rudhil Construction Enterprises, Inc., and Glenn Escandor, president of ESDEVCO Realty Corp. and Genesis 88 Construction.
They said the two were government contractors.
In its complaint, the group alleged that Hilot and Escandor violated Section 95(c) of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC), which prohibits government contractors from making campaign contributions.
Citing their Statements of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCEs), Kontra Daya said Marcos allegedly received P20 million in campaign donations from Hilot in May 2022.
Duterte, meanwhile, allegedly received P19 million from Escandor in February 2022.
“The law is clear—government contractors are prohibited from funding electoral campaigns to prevent conflicts of interest and undue influence in governance,” Kontra Daya said.
“This case highlights both sides of liability—the act of giving and the act of receiving prohibited contributions. Accountability must apply to all parties involved,” it added.
The elections watchdog also called on Comelec to conduct a full and impartial investigation of the incident; determine liability in the OEC; and pursue appropriate action for election offenses.
OEC
Contractors in government projects are prohibited from contributing funds to candidates under the OEC.
Under Article XI Section 95 covering electoral contributions and expenditures, the OEC states: “SECTION 95. Prohibited contributions. – No 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 sub-contracts to supply the government or any of its divisions, subdivisions or instrumentalities, with goods or services or to perform construction or other works.”
GMA News Online reached out to the camps of Marcos and Duterte for comment and will publish it once available.—AOL, GMA News
