Malacañang on Monday said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is open to being investigated over allegations that he received millions of pesos in campaign donations from public works contractors during the 2022 elections.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should be allowed to conduct an independent review of the matter following a report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ).

“Let the Comelec do its job. Investigate. The President is willing to be investigated,” Castro told reporters in a Palace briefing.

Under the Omnibus Election Code, candidates are barred from accepting contributions from entities engaged in business with the government.

The PCIJ reported that tycoon Rodulfo Hilot Jr., owner of Zamboanga del Sur-based Rudhil Construction & Enterprises Inc., donated ₱20 million to Marcos’ 2022 campaign, while Cebu-based contractor Jonathan Quirante contributed ₱1 million. Both firms reportedly saw sharp increases in public works contracts after the elections.

Asked if Marcos would also submit himself to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), a body he created to investigate irregularities in flood control projects, Castro said the President will not exempt himself.

“Matapang po ang Pangulo. Alam po niya ang kanyang ginagawa at kung ano man maaaring imbestigahan dito, hindi niya i-e-excuse ang sarili niya,” she said.

The Comelec has yet to issue a statement on whether it will launch a formal probe into the reported donations.

Marcos earlier vowed that the ICI would operate with transparency and independence and would not spare “sacred cows” in investigating anomalous infrastructure projects.