Comelec En Banc Takes Over High-Profile Campaign Finance Cases
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc is now poised to make a crucial decision regarding the case involving Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero and his campaign donor, Lawrence Lubiano. This development follows the submission of a formal recommendation by the poll body's Political Finance and Affairs Department (PFAD).
In an interview on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, Comelec Chairman George Garcia confirmed that the PFAD had completed its review and forwarded its findings to the full commission. "The PFAD already has a recommendation. The en banc members will now be given the opportunity to review the recommendation," Garcia stated. He expressed hope that the commission would reach a disposition on the matter no later than Wednesday of next week.
Final Authority Rests with En Banc
While Chairman Garcia declined to reveal the specific nature of the PFAD's recommendation, he emphasized that the en banc possesses the ultimate authority in this matter. "We can set that aside since the final say is with the Comelec en banc," Garcia clarified, indicating that the seven-member commission is not obligated to adhere to the department's findings.
The case centers on Lawrence Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc., who admitted to donating P30 million to Escudero's senatorial campaign during the 2022 elections. The situation drew scrutiny because Lubiano's company held several government contracts at the time. Both Lubiano and Senator Escudero have already submitted their responses to the show cause orders (SCOs) issued by the Comelec.
Marcoleta Faces Show Cause Order Over Soce
In a related development, the Comelec announced it will issue a separate show cause order against Senator Rodante Marcoleta. This action concerns his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (Soce) filed for the May 2025 polls, which has been called into question.
Chairman Garcia explained the necessity of the order: "In order to provide a venue for his explanation and to check the documents, we will issue a show cause order." He added that it was appropriate to proceed formally since the matter had already entered the public domain.
The primary issue with Marcoleta's Soce is his declaration of P0 in campaign contributions despite reporting campaign expenditures totaling P112,857,951.44. This raised significant questions, especially since his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) indicated a net worth of only P51.9 million.
Senator Marcoleta previously offered an explanation, stating that friends had donated funds for his campaign but he intentionally did not declare these donations to honor their request for anonymity. However, Chairman Garcia was firm on the commission's stance, asserting that "As far as the Comelec is concerned, there are no exemptions. All donations received during the campaign period must be declared."
The Comelec's upcoming decisions on these two separate cases involving sitting senators are being closely watched, as they could set significant precedents for the enforcement of campaign finance laws in the Philippines.
