FACTS FIRST
1. COMELEC under Chairman George Garcia “terminates” motu proprio investigation against Senator Chiz Escudero’s violation of accepting campaign contributions from a “contractor” Lawrence Lubiano, President of Centerways Construction and owner of 99% shares of stock of the company.
2. Lawrence Lubiano admits under questioning from Cong. Chel Diokno that Lubiano gave ₱30 Million in campaign donations to Chiz Escudero.
Upon prodding and reminder from Lubiano’s lawyer, Lubiano added without prodding from Cong. Chel Diokno that he gave the ₱30 Million in his “personal capacity.”
(Opinion: this is an indicator that such answer is an afterthought meant to provide legal cover or excuse)
3. Chiz Escudero admits being friends with Lawrence Lubiano and that he received ₱30 Million from Lubiano and declared it in his 2022 SOCE
4. George Garcia was Chiz Escudero’s lawyer for the 2022 Elections — George Garcia filed Escudero’s COC (see picture) and guess what else George Garcia filed presumably on behalf of or for Chiz Escudero?
The 2022 SOCE where Chiz admits to receiving ₱30 Million from Lubiano.
Yes, it’s most likely George Garcia who prepared or gave advice to Chiz Escudero as to what to fill up and what to declare in Escudero’s 2022 SOCE.
The deadline for filing the SOCE in 2022 was June 8.
George Garcia was appointed as COMELEC Chair on July 22, 2022.
5. George Garcia is married to the CURRENT Deputy Secretary for Legislation of the SENATE – Atty. Marivic Laurel-Garcia.
Mavic Garcia, as she is more popularly called came from Senator Zubiri’s staff then was transferred to the Secretariat and then became Deputy Secretary under then Senate President Chiz Escudero.
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OPINIONS / THE FALCIS ANALYSIS
1. There is a conflict of interest with George Garcia heading the COMELEC and investigating Chiz Escudero’s liabilities for his 2022 SOCE and acceptance of prohibited contributes when it was George Garcia himself who was Escudero’s lawyer for the 2022 Elections!
Why would the COMELEC see anything wrong in Escudero’s 2022 SOCE when it was George Garcia who presumably prepared and/or filed it? 👊
2. Atty. Mavic Garcia’s promotions is seen as a meteoric rise in the Senate.
Some Senators even say: “How can we disagree with the wife of the COMELEC Chair?” 💥
3. COMELEC wrongly applied the doctrine of separate personality. What it should have applied was the doctrine of piercing the veil of corporate fiction.
And regardless, Section 95 covers NATURAL PERSONS. As the President of Centerways, Lawrence Lubiano is holding a contract with the government in his personal natural capacity.
4. COMELEC might be absolving Chiz Escudero of liability from accepting donations from contractors because PBBM and Sara Duterte also have donations from contractors according to their SOCE as exposed by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ).
5. Absolving Chiz Escudero sets a bad signal or precedent to the people and contractors — contractors can keep funding politicians and putting them in their pockets as long as they do it in their “personal capacity.”
What a bad, bad decision!
#Accountability
#FloodControlProjects
FACTS FIRST
1. COMELEC under Chairman George Garcia “terminates” motu proprio investigation against Senator Chiz Escudero’s violation of accepting campaign contributions from a “contractor” Lawrence Lubiano, President of Centerways Construction and owner of 99% shares of stock of the company.
2. Lawrence Lubiano admits under questioning from Cong. Chel Diokno that Lubiano gave ₱30 Million in campaign donations to Chiz Escudero.
Upon prodding and reminder from Lubiano’s lawyer, Lubiano added without prodding from Cong. Chel Diokno that he gave the ₱30 Million in his “personal capacity.”
(Opinion: this is an indicator that such answer is an afterthought meant to provide legal cover or excuse)
3. Chiz Escudero admits being friends with Lawrence Lubiano and that he received ₱30 Million from Lubiano and declared it in his 2022 SOCE
4. George Garcia was Chiz Escudero’s lawyer for the 2022 Elections — George Garcia filed Escudero’s COC (see picture) and guess what else George Garcia filed presumably on behalf of or for Chiz Escudero?
The 2022 SOCE where Chiz admits to receiving ₱30 Million from Lubiano.
Yes, it’s most likely George Garcia who prepared or gave advice to Chiz Escudero as to what to fill up and what to declare in Escudero’s 2022 SOCE.
The deadline for filing the SOCE in 2022 was June 8.
George Garcia was appointed as COMELEC Chair on July 22, 2022.
5. George Garcia is married to the CURRENT Deputy Secretary for Legislation of the SENATE – Atty. Marivic Laurel-Garcia.
Mavic Garcia, as she is more popularly called came from Senator Zubiri’s staff then was transferred to the Secretariat and then became Deputy Secretary under then Senate President Chiz Escudero.
———
OPINIONS / THE FALCIS ANALYSIS
1. There is a conflict of interest with George Garcia heading the COMELEC and investigating Chiz Escudero’s liabilities for his 2022 SOCE and acceptance of prohibited contributes when it was George Garcia himself who was Escudero’s lawyer for the 2022 Elections!
Why would the COMELEC see anything wrong in Escudero’s 2022 SOCE when it was George Garcia who presumably prepared and/or filed it? 👊
2. Atty. Mavic Garcia’s promotions is seen as a meteoric rise in the Senate.
Some Senators even say: “How can we disagree with the wife of the COMELEC Chair?” 💥
3. COMELEC wrongly applied the doctrine of separate personality. What it should have applied was the doctrine of piercing the veil of corporate fiction.
And regardless, Section 95 covers NATURAL PERSONS. As the President of Centerways, Lawrence Lubiano is holding a contract with the government in his personal natural capacity.
4. COMELEC might be absolving Chiz Escudero of liability from accepting donations from contractors because PBBM and Sara Duterte also have donations from contractors according to their SOCE as exposed by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ).
5. Absolving Chiz Escudero sets a bad signal or precedent to the people and contractors — contractors can keep funding politicians and putting them in their pockets as long as they do it in their “personal capacity.”
What a bad, bad decision!
#Accountability
#FloodControlProjects
Taiwan Is Free, Independent, Democratic Country.
All the democracies all around the world, stand in support of Taiwan.
No matter what China says or does, it's so called "reunification" dream is shall never matterialize!
Chiz Escudero’s SOCE was prepared by George Garcia, his lawyer then.
George Garcia is the chair of the COMELEC.
His wife Mavic currently works as the Deputy Secretary for Legislation of the Senate under Chiz.
The COMELEC finds no wrongdoing by Chiz.
Lemme act surprised 🖕
🇯🇵🇹🇼 Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae said that if Communist China dares to attack Taiwan the Japanese Self-Defense Forces will have to be immediately mobilized.
Japan stands with Taiwan. Always.
𝗞𝗔𝗞𝗔𝗠𝗕𝗔𝗟 𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗔𝗚𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗞𝗔𝗪 🤥
Huwag tayo magpalason sa mga kasinungalingan ng China! Ang sinasabing “nature reserve plan” ay palusot lamang para sa patuloy nilang pagpasok sa ating karagatan.
Ang West Philippine Sea ay atin! Kaya China Alis! ✊🇵🇭
#AkbayanPartylist
China's aggression inside Philippines's waters has surpassed the threshold of Gray Zone.
Chinese state funded militia, putting CYANIDE, one the most one of the most poisonous substances in the water body that feeds millions of people, is clearly an act of war!
Occupying & renaming territories, China is playing this dirty game for a long time.
Tibet is NOT CHINA
East Turkestan is NOT CHINA
Taiwan is NOT CHINA
Scarborough Shoal is NOT CHINA
Second Thomas Shoal is NOT CHINA
Spratly Islands is NOT CHINA
South China Sea is NOT CHINA
I first posted this in May 2022.
I thought of sharing it again now, in light of the ongoing controversies surrounding the national budget.
I remember how strict PNoy was when it came to government spending — he was careful with every peso, leaving no issue unchecked, because as public servants, we were entrusted to be faithful stewards of the people’s money.
———————-
SA ILALIM NI PNOY
Under PNoy, there were only two kinds of Cabinet meetings that would practically be held the whole day.
One was the fiscal budget meeting where PNoy would go thru the proposed budget for the next year w/ a calculator beside him & asked the logic of the expenditures. Ang taya na sasagot ay yung Dept Secretary at Budget Secretary (DBM). Kung hindi masagot ng Cabsec, si Budget Secretary ang sasagot. Kung hindi pa rin masagot, submit a written explanation. Walang item sa proposed budget ang papasa na hindi dumaan sa karayom ni PNoy. Ganyan sya kahigpit sa kaban ng bayan.
The second set of meetings is yung NEDA Board. Lahat ng govt projects over a certain amount kailangan dumaan sa NEDA Board. Si PNoy nasa tabi nya uli ang calculator.
Bago umakyat sa NEDA Board, na repaso na ng NEDA yung mga projects & tabled for NEDA Board approval.
Sa meeting, the Cabsec proponent will defend the Project & almost always may tanong si PNoy. Kung hindi masagot ang logic ng laki ng proyekto or any questions he asked, submit a written explanation.
Why do i recall these two kinds of meetings? First, dahil ang humarap kay PNoy ay parang thesis defense at ang proponent ay dapat “Laging Handa”. If one came unprepared, gisang gisa ang Cabsec at ang staff niya & no matter how one prepared, you’d still get questions from left field.
2nd, nakaupo kami ng buong araw & hindi comportable ang silya. Masakit sa likod. Magandang tingnan ang Aguinaldo Room pero panahon pa yata ng Kano ang mga silya at imagine marami sa amin ay hindi na bata. Kaya maraming beses na patawang minumungkahi na baka pwedeng gumamit na lang ng ergonomic chairs.
But kidding aside, mahalaga ang papel ng NEDA Board at ng budget meetings. PNoy always took to heart that in meetings w/c involved spending people’s money, he came prepared, read all the proposals, went thru each item line by line & made notes to ask.
PNoy was exacting when required & demanded the same standard from his people. In the end, we came out w/ tired backs but nonetheless wiser. 💪