Palace: Marcos willing to face probe on alleged donor contractors

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro (PNA file photo by Ruth Abbey Carlos)

By Darryl John Esguerra, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is open to scrutiny following a Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) report that he was among those who received millions of pesos in campaign contributions from contractors during the 2022 elections, Malacañang said Monday.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should be allowed to review the matter independently.

“Let the Comelec do its job. Investigate. The President is willing to be investigated,” Castro said in a Palace press briefing.

Under the Omnibus Election Code, candidates are prohibited from accepting donations from entities with government contracts.

Asked if Marcos would submit himself to the Independent Commission for infrastructure (ICI), a body he created to probe flood control anomalies, Castro said the President will not excuse himself.

“Matapang po ang Pangulo. Alam po niya ang kanyang ginagawa at kung ano man maaaring imbestigahan dito, hindi niya i-e-excuse ang sarili niya (The President is courageous. He knows what he is doing and whatever may be investigated here, he will not excuse himself),” she said.

Citing campaign finance records, the PCIJ recently reported that tycoon Rodulfo D. Hilot Jr., owner of Zamboanga del Sur-based Rudhil Construction & Enterprises Inc., donated PHP20 million to Marcos’ 2022 campaign, while Cebu-based contractor Jonathan M. Quirante gave PHP1 million.

Both firms reportedly saw steep increases in public works contracts after the election, with Quirante Construction’s awards rising to PHP3 billion in 2023 alone, the PCIJ reported.

The Comelec has yet to comment on whether it will initiate a probe into the contractors’ contributions.