EDITORIAL: Election Corruption

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has once again raised a red flag — this time against 21 contractors potentially flouting the law by contributing to the campaigns of senatorial and congressional candidates in the 2025 midterm elections.

As Chairman George Erwin Garcia disclosed, the poll body is now actively validating whether these donors are, in fact, companies with ongoing government contracts — a clear violation of Section 95(c) of the Omnibus Election Code.

This is not just a minor accounting irregularity. It is a direct affront to the integrity of democratic elections, and it strikes at the heart of public trust in both governance and electoral processes.

That contractors with possible active ties to government infrastructure projects may be influencing who gets elected into powerful positions is an alarming breach — one that cannot, and must not, be treated as just another bureaucratic misstep.

The law is unambiguous. Government contractors are barred from donating to political campaigns, and candidates are likewise prohibited from accepting such donations. The logic behind this restriction is rooted in preserving fairness, transparency, and preventing the corrupt cycle of pay-to-play politics.

Violators, once confirmed, could face imprisonment and lifetime disqualification from public office. These are not light penalties — nor should they be.

What Comelec has begun to uncover — now involving 21 contractors linked to around six or seven candidates — echoes past controversies, such as the P30-million donation from construction firm executive Lawrence Lubiano to Senator Francis Escudero.

That case remains under investigation. The recurrence of similar patterns today signals that the safeguards around campaign finance remain dangerously porous.

Even more troubling is the overlapping concern being probed by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee: alleged anomalies in flood control projects and contractor selection, many of which may involve the same entities now flagged by the Comelec.

The detention of contractor Curlee Discaya, and the court’s upholding of the Senate’s contempt ruling, reinforces the seriousness of these inquiries.

Chairman Garcia’s assurance that the Comelec “does not exempt anyone from investigation” — even if the contractors are relatives of candidates — is a commitment that must be tested not just in principle but in action. The current climate of political impunity demands that accountability is seen, not just spoken of.

It is also crucial for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to act decisively and transparently in confirming whether the flagged firms indeed have ongoing or recently completed government contracts. Delay or evasion at this stage would only fuel public skepticism and diminish confidence in the rule of law.

In a country where electoral campaigns are often tainted by murky money trails and quid-pro-quo arrangements, this investigation marks a crucial opportunity — a line in the sand. The Comelec must follow through with unrelenting rigor.

The Senate, through its inquiry into public works anomalies, must ensure that the facts—not alliances—steer its conclusions. And the public must demand that those who bend or break the rules, no matter how well-connected, face the consequences.

This is not just about 21 contractors or a few candidates. It is about whether our elections are for sale — and whether we, as a nation, will tolerate it.