Billions of pesos from authorities coffers circulation annually to development companies constructing roads, bridges, and flood management techniques.
However behind these initiatives 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 a listing of the high 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 listing solely mirrored preliminary findings from the audit he ordered.
However previous reviews already revealed how politicians are tied to those companies, 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 finances that covers infrastructure initiatives.
Senator Bong Go
Senator Bong Go’s father, Desiderio Go, owns CLTG Builders, a high contractor for presidency initiatives 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, principally 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 Development and Improvement Inc. via its president, Lawrence Lubiano, who donated P30 million to Escudero’s 2022 marketing campaign.
Sorsogon-based Centerways is among the many high contractors for flood management initiatives recognized by Marcos’ audit. A majority of its flood management initiatives are in Sorsogon, Escudero’s house province.
In response to a Rappler report mentioning 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 obtained 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 Improvement (DHSUD). After his elimination resulting from “underdelivery,” Acuzar was reappointed as presidential adviser for Pasig River Rehabilitation, with Cupboard rank.
NSJBI can be the developer of the Philippine Area, 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 high recipients of flood management contracts underneath Marcos Jr.’s time period.
From 2016 to 2024, Sunwest secured over P38 billion in authorities initiatives. 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 Included in 2019 in obvious compliance with the Code of Conduct and Moral Requirements for Public Officers and Staff, he, his household, and mates proceed to be lively shareholders of different companies carefully tied to the corporate.
Congressman Edwin Gardiola
Development Employees Solidarity Social gathering-list Consultant Edwin Gardiola, a civil engineer and businessman, is linked to JSG Development and E. Gardiola Development. Based mostly on a 2014 Philippine Every day Inquirer report, he’s the proprietor of those corporations, which have been investigated for being linked to a “suspected rip-off.”
Newington Builders Inc., previously named E. Gardiola Development, cornered two flood management initiatives within the municipality of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, with a complete mixed quantity of P212.3 million. Based mostly on publicly out there contracts of the agency with the DPWH, Newington’s treasurer and vp is “Alberto Elmer Gardiola.”
Congresswoman Tina Pancho
Bulacan 2nd District Consultant Tina Pancho’s household owns C.M. Pancho Development Inc.
The Pancho household’s development agency additionally bagged some street development initiatives 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 Common Contractor and Improvement 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 Development, although she stated she divested in 2018. Each companies ranked second and third on Marcos’ listing of high contractors.
Alpha & Omega and St. Timothy Development additionally ranked second and third, respectively, on Marcos’ listing.
In Laoag Metropolis, Marcos’ endorsed mayor Bryan Alcid is the proprietor and supervisor of Megapolitan Builders and Development Provides, primarily based on contracts as current 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 conserving 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 personal 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 responsibility.”
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 initiatives from making marketing campaign donations. Different firms could contribute, however inside limits.
COMELEC Decision No. 10772, issued in March 2022, permits home firms to make “affordable donations” to candidates, supplied these don’t exceed 5% of their taxable revenue 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 course of that 12 months’s marketing campaign interval.
Are you aware different politicians who’ve hyperlinks to development companies? You possibly can e mail us at investigative@rappler.com.
– with reviews from Dwight de Leon and Lian Buan/Rappler
