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Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero leads the 127th Independence Day celebration at the historic Barasoain Church in Malolos City, Bulacan, on Wednesday, June 12, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero leads the 127th Independence Day celebration at the historic Barasoain Church in Malolos City, Bulacan, on Wednesday, June 12, 2025. Centered on the theme “Kalayaan. Kinabukasan. Kasaysayan.,” Escudero and key local officials paid tribute to the national flag and laid wreaths at the monument of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo to honor the nation’s history and its continuing fight for freedom.

Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Escudero denies helping contractor get flood projects, confirms P30M campaign donation

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175498042935020250612-127th-independence-day-barasoain-MT18 (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero leads the 127th Independence Day celebration at the historic Barasoain Church in Malolos City, Bulacan, on Wednesday, June 12, 2025. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Senate President Francis &quot;Chiz&quot; Escudero on Tuesday denied any involvement with or help extended to a construction firm that won several flood-control projects and whose president was his campaign donor in the 2022 elections.</p><p>&quot;Kung may ginawa siyang iligal, ulitin ko ha, kung may ginawang iligal sinuman, dapat managot sila. Pero wala akong kinalaman kaugnay sa program of work, pag-bid, pag-award,&quot; Escudero said.</p><p>&quot;Ang binibid at award namin ay mga programa at proyekto ng lalawigan noon ng Sorsogon kung saan procuring entity ang Sorsogon Provincial Government. Wala kaming kinalaman sa National Government Agency Procurement, kabilang na ang pagbabayad. Ni hindi nga ako bahagi ng Kongresong yun,&quot; he added.   </p><p>Centerways Construction and Development Inc. was <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/11/15-contractors-cornered-p100-b-worth-of-flood-control-projects-since-2022-marcos-1053">among the construction companies flagged Monday by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr</a>., who noted that only 15 contractors bagged 20 percent of nearly 10,000 flood control projects since 2022.</p><p>A Rappler <a href="https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/inside-track/chiz-escudero-top-campaign-donor-lawrence-lubiano-bags-billions-flood-control-projects/">report</a> said Centerways&#x27; president, Lawrence R. Lubiano, was Escudero’s top donor in the 2022 polls, &quot;dropping P30 million into the senator&#x27;s campaign funds, based on his official Statement of Contributions and Expenditures.&quot;</p><p>Centerways&#x27; principal office is located in Sorsogon City, Escudero&#x27;s home turf. All of its listed projects are located in different provinces in the Bicol Region, except for three in Cebu, according to ABS-CBN Research and Verification Unit.</p><p>Escudero said he was not part of Centerways and stressed that he did not have any role in bidding, awarding, inspection, or payment to any government projects inside or outside Sorsogon.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/11/a-deeper-look-into-marcos-s-list-of-top-flood-control-contractors-0037">A deeper look into Marcos’s list of top flood control contractors</a></div><p>The senator pointed out that most of the projects had been contracted when he had yet to return to the Senate. During his time away from the Senate, he was the governor of Sorsogon province.</p><p>&quot;For the record, wala akong kinalaman sa pag-identify, paggawa ng program of work, pag-bid, pag-award, pagbahay, pagbayad, pag-inspeksyon ng anumang proyekto sa pamahalaan sa Sorsogon man o sa labas ng lalawigan ng Sorosogon. Meron kami ibigay sa inyong data tungkol sa ini-cull naming figures kung saan papatunayan nun na wala pa nga ako dito noong karamihan yun ay nakuha,&quot; he said. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ESCUDERO CONFIRMS P30M CAMPAIGN DONATION</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Escudero said Centerways&#x27; donation was reflected in his campaign finance disclosure, confirming that it donated P30 million to his campaign for the Senate.</p><p>But he pointed out there was no allegation of wrongdoing against the contractor-campaign donor, calling the article &quot;malicious&quot; and &quot;ill-timed.&quot;</p><p>The senator questioned the focus on him and said the contractor had only landed less than 1 percent of all the flood control projects from 2020-2024.</p><p>According to documents released by Escudero to the media, Centerways won about P5.4 billion in contracts from 2020 to 2024. The projects were in Region 5 and Region 6.</p><p>&quot;Ang tanong ko, bakit pinagtuunan ng pansin yun? Yung 1 percent pa talaga, hindi yung 99 percent? Bakit pinagtuunan ng pansin, hindi yung mga mambabatas marahil o opisyal ng gobyerno na kontraktor?&quot; Escudero said.</p><p>&quot;Hindi naman ako kontraktor. Hindi ako bahagi na anumang negosyo kaugnay sa construction o supply sa pamahalan mula nung pumasok ako sa gobyerno noong 1998.&quot;</p><p>Escudero maintained that there is <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/11/villanueva-no-senators-linked-to-15-contractors-in-questionable-flood-control-projects-1621">no senator who is also a contractor</a>, as he pointed out the supposed silence of the House of Representatives over the exposé of the President on Monday.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/12/magalong-willing-to-lead-probe-into-highly-syndicated-flood-control-mess-1030">&#x27;Highly syndicated&#x27;: Baguio mayor Magalong says willing to lead probe into flood control mess</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>DEMOLITION JOB?</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Escudero reiterated that the reports linking him to the contractor were <strong></strong>part of a &quot;demolition job&quot; against him, supposedly launched by those pushing for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.<strong></strong><br/></p><p><strong></strong>He also claimed the move appeared to be part of a plot to unseat him to make sure he is no longer the presiding officer should another impeachment complaint be filed next year.</p><p>Escudero maintained that the Senate presidency is always the call of his colleagues, and said he is confident that his fellow senators can see through the &quot;demolition job.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/29/escudero-slams-efforts-to-link-him-to-flood-budget-misuse-as-demolition-job-1619">Escudero slams efforts to link him to flood budget misuse as &#x27;demolition job&#x27;</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>HOUSE LAWMAKERS DENY DEMOLITION JOB </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>House Deputy Speaker and Antipolo First District Rep. Ronaldo “Ronnie” Puno denied the supposed demolition job.  </p><p>“Masama yung pagka-blanket na ‘sinisiraan sa Kongreso,’ eh lahat kami tinatamaan. Kaibigan ko si Senator Chiz eh. Pati pa ako nadamay na naman sa akusasyon. Hindi, walang ganyanan. Huwag nating lalahatin. Siguro banggitin niya na kung sino ‘yun para at least magkasagutan na sila,” Puno said. </p><p>Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said he respects Escudero’s statement and added that it was “very important” to address the issue of alleged legislator-contractors.</p><p>“‘Di ko naman alam kung sino din pinapatungkulan niya na mayroon pong demolition job against him... Ang totoo naman ho, siyempre talaga hong mayroong mga allegations ng legislator-contractors. So I think very important talagang ma-address ‘yun pong pinapangalanan na legislator-contractors or ‘yung mga related sa contractors po,” Ridon told the media. </p><div><strong>— With a report from Agatha Gregorio, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><strong><br/></strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS: </strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kXxNwYFQeC4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L_ef1tLe5YE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A1wpf6-qtyE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero on Tuesday denied any involvement with or help extended to a construction firm that won several flood-control projects and whose president was his campaign donor in the 2022 elections.</p>

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero on Tuesday denied any involvement with or help extended to a construction firm that won several flood-control projects and whose president was his campaign donor in the 2022 elections.

Escudero denies hand in flood control projects secured by campaign donor

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Escudero denies hand in flood control projects secured by campaign donor

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 12, 2025 03:16 PM PHT

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Updated Aug 12, 2025 08:33 PM PHT

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