Senate President Francis Escudero has denounced a recent report linking him to a top-earning flood control contractor, describing it as a “demolition job” aimed at unseating him from his post.
According to a report by Philstar.com, the controversy surfaced after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. revealed the 15 construction firms that earned the most from flood control projects. Rappler then reported that Lawrence R. Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc., was Escudero’s top donor in the 2022 elections, contributing around P30 million to his campaign.
Escudero admitted that Lubiano made the donation but stressed there was no special treatment in return. “Wala (none)!” he said when asked if he helped Lubiano after being elected. He emphasized that most of the company’s projects were secured when he was not a senator, and that while Lubiano is a friend, he has no involvement in the firm’s operations.
“Merong demolition PR job na nakatoon laban sa akin… upang tiyakin na mawala ako sa pwesto at nang pag-file muli ang impeachment ay wala na ako dito pagdating February 6,” Escudero said, adding that the smear campaign benefits those pushing for the continuation of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.
When pressed if he believed members of the House of Representatives were behind the move, Escudero answered, “obvious.” He also questioned the timing of the exposé, saying, “The innuendo, the insinuation, and the malicious timing, I question it.”
Escudero pointed out that Centerways Construction only received about 1% of the P545 billion allocated for flood control projects. Marcos has ordered a full audit of these projects, citing preliminary findings in his recent State of the Nation Address that called for closer scrutiny of the top contractors.
