Professor David San Juan at a press briefing on the Baha sa Liwasang Bonifacio Anti-Corruption Protest. - Photo: Keith Clores
MANILA: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Vice President Sara Duterte should answer to reports that they received campaign donations from contractors, Taumbayan Ayaw sa Magnanakaw at Abusado Network Alliance (TAMA NA) convenor, Prof David San Juan challenged on Thursday (Oct 16).
During a press briefing, San Juan asked why only Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero has explained to the Commission on Elections the P30-M in donations found in his campaign fund, but the president and the vice president have yet to make a statement on the matter.
“Sen. Chiz Escudero has already explained his campaign donations from contractors, but there are two people who have yet to explain: our president, BBM, and Vice President Sara Duterte – both of them received campaign donations from contractors, according to a report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ),” San Juan, speaking in Filipino, pointed out.
San Juan continued, addressing the president and the vice president, asking: “Mr. President BBM, and Madam Vice President Sara Duterte, should also explain. Is the PCIJ report true that you received campaign donations from contractors? And if it is true, is that appropriate?”
The professor also posed that if the campaign donations are true and are unlawful, Marcos Jr. and Duterte must be held accountable.
In mid-September 2025, the PCIJ released a report alleging that the president and vice president “received tens of millions of pesos in campaign contributions from public works contractors.”
Under the Omnibus Election Code, candidates are prohibited from sourcing contributions “for purposes of partisan political activity … directly or indirectly” from those doing business with the government.
PCIJ cited that Radulfo Hilot Jr., owner of Rudhil Construction and Enterprises Inc. in Zamboanga, contributed P20 million to Marcos Jr.’s 2022 campaign, while Jonathan Quirante, owner of Quirante Construction Corporation in Cebu donated P1 million.
According to PCIJ, the two contractors allegedly “benefited from a steep increase in the value of government contracts awarded to their firms,” such as when Quirante Construction’s contracts reached P3 billion in 2023, and when Rudhil’s contracts reached P3.5 billion in 2024.
Meanwhile, Duterte was reportedly a beneficiary of Glenn Escandor, owner of Genesis 88 whose company was awarded several public works contracts during the administration of the vice president’s father.
Escandor, through his realty company, paid for P19.9 million campaign advertisements for Duterte in 2022, the PCIJ reported.
In response, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in late September that Marcos “is willing to be investigated” and called on by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
