Chiz Donation Case Heads to High Court as Comelec Clearance Gets Second Look

The campaign donation issue hounding Senator Chiz Escudero is not done yet. The Supreme Court has agreed to review a Comelec ruling that earlier cleared him over a P30-million contribution tied to contractor Lawrence Lubiano.

According to Rappler, the petition was filed by private citizen John Barry Tayam, and the High Court’s en banc resolution dated February 18 accepted the request for review. The case zeroes in on whether the donation should have been barred under election rules covering government contractors.

Comelec’s Political Finance and Affairs Department had ruled in November 2025 that Escudero did not violate election laws by accepting the money, and that Lubiano also did not break campaign finance rules by giving it. But that finding is now being challenged before the justices.

The controversy became bigger after Rappler previously reported that Lubiano, owner of Centerways Construction, was Escudero’s top donor and one of the country’s major flood-control contractors. The same issue later became one of the factors that led to Escudero’s removal as Senate president.

Separate from the donation case, Escudero has also been linked in Senate testimony to alleged kickbacks from flood-control projects, something he has denied. For now, ang malinaw: the legal fight over that campaign money is moving to a much higher level.

Source: https://www.rappler.com/philippines/supreme-court-review-chiz-escudero-campaign-donation-case/