MANILA — Commission on Elections Chairperson George Garcia said he will recuse himself if a case is filed against Senator Francis Escudero over allegedly prohibited campaign contributions during the 2022 elections.

Escudero was previously a client of Garcia when the poll chief practiced as an election lawyer.

“[I] will inhibit, especially in the case of Sen. Chiz Escudero, because I have served before as his lawyer. We will do that when he is officially and formally required to respond to the invitation to provide a counter-affidavit,” Garcia said in an interview at the Comelec main office in Intramuros, Manila.

Escudero earlier admitted to receiving PHP30 million in campaign donations from Lawrence Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc., the top flood control contractor in Sorsogon province.

The Omnibus Election Code prohibits candidates from accepting contributions “for purposes of partisan political activity” from individuals with government contracts.

Last week, the Comelec sent a show-cause order for Lubiano to appear before the Commission. Garcia said Lubiano has yet to respond.

“This is to allow him to explain and to provide answers to the questions regarding his donation of PHP30 million to a candidate for a current senator,” Garcia said.

Garcia also said the Commission will release the names of companies that contributed to politicians’ campaigns once they receive confirmation from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“As soon as we get certification from the DPWH, we will release the list of contractors. We just want to know which among the 52 construction companies, how many are really government contractors, and how many are really private (contractors),” he said.

“Once the certifications are released from the DPWH, we will release the list to the public, and we will write to them one by one and invite them to attend the hearing,” Garcia added. (PNA)