Billions of pesos from authorities coffers circulation every year to building corporations constructing roads, bridges, and flood management techniques.
However behind these tasks are acquainted names: politicians, their households, and their marketing campaign donors.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in his fourth State of the Nation Handle, vowed to go after authorities officers conniving with the personal sector.
Weeks later, he launched an inventory of the prime contractors that bagged the largest flood management offers. Marcos was cautious to make clear that he was “not accusing anybody of something but,” stressing that the checklist solely mirrored preliminary findings from the audit he ordered.
However previous stories already revealed how politicians are tied to those corporations, both as founders, shareholders, marketing campaign donors, or household companies. This raises questions of battle of curiosity, particularly since legislators play a vital function in shaping the nationwide funds that covers infrastructure tasks.
Senator Bong Go
Senator Bong Go’s father, Desiderio Go, owns CLTG Builders, a prime contractor for presidency tasks in Davao — the bailiwick of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whom Go served for years.
The agency’s initials additionally match Go’s full title: Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Tesoro Go. Between 2016 and 2017, CLTG gained ₱1.85 billion value of contracts, largely with the Division of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), in keeping with a 2018 Philippine Middle for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) report.
After PCIJ’s report, Go — then Duterte’s particular assistant — dismissed the findings as “malicious,” insisting he by no means influenced bidding or awarding processes on the DPWH.
Senator Chiz Escudero
Senate President Chiz Escudero has ties to Centerways Building and Growth Inc. by its president, Lawrence Lubiano, who donated P30 million to Escudero’s 2022 marketing campaign.
Sorsogon-based Centerways is among the many prime contractors for flood management tasks recognized by Marcos’ audit. A majority of its flood management tasks are in Sorsogon, Escudero’s dwelling province.
In response to a Rappler report stating his hyperlinks with the development agency, he admitted that he’s “mates” with the development agency’s president. He clarified that he didn’t intervene in any of Centerway’s contracts with the federal government.
Senator Joel Villanueva
In 2022, then-senatorial candidate Joel Villanueva acquired a P20-million donation from New San Jose Builders Inc. (NSJBI), which on the time had lively authorities contracts, PCIJ reported.
NSJBI was based by Jose Rizalino “Jerry” Acuzar, who later grew to become secretary of the Division of Human Settlements and City Growth (DHSUD). After his elimination as a result of “underdelivery,” Acuzar was reappointed as presidential adviser for Pasig River Rehabilitation, with Cupboard rank.
NSJBI can be the developer of the Philippine Enviornment, the world’s largest indoor area owned by Iglesia ni Cristo, and the heritage resort Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bataan and Quezon Metropolis.
Congressman Zaldy Co
Ako Bicol Consultant Zaldy Co, co-founded the development agency Sunwest, which ranked eighth among the many prime recipients of flood management contracts underneath Marcos Jr.’s time period.
From 2016 to 2024, Sunwest secured over P38 billion in authorities tasks. Of that determine, P28 billion went to roads and bridges, and P7 billion to flood management.
Rappler’s investigative report famous that Co was listed because the incorporator of Sunwest. Whereas he divested from Sunwest Integrated in 2019 in obvious compliance with the Code of Conduct and Moral Requirements for Public Officers and Workers, he, his household, and mates proceed to be lively shareholders of different companies intently tied to the corporate.
Congressman Edwin Gardiola
Building Employees Solidarity Celebration-list Consultant Edwin Gardiola, a civil engineer and businessman, is linked to JSG Building and E. Gardiola Building. Primarily based on a 2014 Philippine Day by day Inquirer report, he’s the proprietor of those firms, which had been investigated for being linked to a “suspected rip-off.”
Newington Builders Inc., previously named E. Gardiola Building, cornered two flood management tasks within the municipality of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, with a complete mixed quantity of P212.3 million. Primarily based on publicly obtainable contracts of the agency with the DPWH, Newington’s treasurer and vice chairman is “Alberto Elmer Gardiola.”
Congresswoman Tina Pancho
Bulacan 2nd District Consultant Tina Pancho’s household owns C.M. Pancho Building Inc.
The Pancho household’s building agency additionally bagged some highway building tasks in Bulacan.
The Pancho household has lengthy dominated the province’s 2nd congressional district. Patriarch Pedro Pancho and his son, Gavini C. Pancho, each beforehand held the seat earlier than it was handed on to Ditse Tina.
Different politicians
In Pasig Metropolis, a 2022 mayoral candidate was president of Alpha & Omega Normal Contractor and Growth Corp. as of 2023, in keeping with election watchdog Proper to Know, Proper Now! (R2KRN).
SEC paperwork additionally listed her as an incorporator of St. Timothy Building, although she mentioned she divested in 2018. Each corporations ranked second and third on Marcos’ checklist of prime contractors.
Alpha & Omega and St. Timothy Building additionally ranked second and third, respectively, on Marcos’ checklist.
In Laoag Metropolis, Marcos’ endorsed mayor Bryan Alcid is the proprietor and supervisor of Megapolitan Builders and Building Provides, primarily based on contracts as latest as February 2025. He unseated the President’s estranged cousin, Michael Marcos Keon, within the 2025 elections. Alcid first entered politics in 2022 as a Laoag Metropolis councilor.
Regulating battle of curiositys
The legislation prohibits public officers from holding personal pursuits that conflict with their duties.
Part 9 of the Code of Conduct and Moral Requirements states that when a battle arises, an official should resign from personal posts inside 30 days of taking workplace and divest shareholdings inside 60 days.
In response to the code of conduct, battle of curiosity arises “when a public official or worker is a member of a board, an officer, or a considerable stockholder of a non-public company or proprietor or has a considerable curiosity in a enterprise, and the curiosity of such company or enterprise, or his rights or duties therein, could also be against or affected by the devoted efficiency of official obligation.”
The anti-graft legislation additional bans public officers from holding direct or oblique monetary stakes in contracts or companies the place they intervene of their official capability, or the place the Structure and different legal guidelines forbid such pursuits.
Election legislation additionally units boundaries. Part 95(c) of the Omnibus Election Code bars contractors with lively authorities tasks from making marketing campaign donations. Different companies might contribute, however inside limits.
COMELEC Decision No. 10772, issued in March 2022, permits home companies to make “cheap donations” to candidates, offered these don’t exceed 5% of their taxable earnings from the 12 months earlier than the elections.
This decision was anchored on the revised Company Code, a legislation signed by then-president Rodrigo Duterte in February 2019, in the midst of that 12 months’s marketing campaign interval.
Are you aware different politicians who’ve hyperlinks to building corporations? You’ll be able to e mail us at investigative@rappler.com.
– with stories from Dwight de Leon and Lian Buan/Rappler
