MANILA — Sen. Rodante Marcoleta has defended the legality of his more than P112 million in reported campaign expenditures by invoking a key provision of election law that, they argue, excludes financial contributions received before the official campaign period from disclosure requirements, as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) completed its fact-finding review of a complaint questioning his campaign finances.
The complaint, filed by election watchdog Kontra Daya, challenged how Marcoleta was able to declare over P112 million in campaign spending in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) despite reporting no campaign donations and listing a net worth of P52 million.
In response, Marcoleta maintained that certain funds were received before he was legally considered a candidate and therefore were not subject to disclosure rules tied to the official campaign period.
Comelec chairman George Garcia, who has inhibited himself from the case, confirmed in a radio interview that the poll body’s Political and Finance Affairs Department has completed its fact-finding review.
Garcia cited Section 13 of Republic Act No. 9369, or the Automated Election Law, which provides: “Any person who files his certificate of candidacy within this period shall only be considered as a candidate at the start of the campaign period for which he filed his certificate of candidacy.”
He also referenced a 2009 Supreme Court ruling clarifying that liability for election offenses begins only at the onset of the official campaign period.
“Bagaman nag-file sila nang kandidatura nung October, sila ay kandidato lamang sa Pebrero dun sa national position at Marso kapag local position,” Garcia said.
According to Garcia, this interpretation suggests that individuals who filed their certificates of candidacy in October but mounted campaign materials or advertisements before the official campaign period could not yet be held liable for election offenses because they were not legally considered candidates at that time.
“Yan ay may malalim na implikasyon at ayaw ko munang sabihin kung ano ang implikasyon sa kaso [ni Marcoleta],” he added.
In a separate television interview, Marcoleta said he did not declare contributions from friends during the 2025 midterm elections because the donors preferred to remain anonymous.
Garcia earlier disclosed that at least nine contractors had donated to several candidates during the 2025 midterm polls, raising broader concerns over campaign finance transparency and compliance with disclosure rules.
The Comelec has yet to announce its next course of action following the completion of the fact-finding process./PN
