MANILA — The Office of the Ombudsman on Friday formally brought Sen. Rodante Marcoleta before the Sandiganbayan, filing a plunder case and three other criminal charges over his alleged failure to declare P75 million in campaign contributions received ahead of the 2025 senatorial elections.
Also charged with plunder, indirect bribery, and violations of Presidential Decree No. 46—which prohibits public officials from receiving gifts—were Marcoleta’s alleged donors: former congressman Michael Defensor and businessmen Joseph Varias Espiritu and Aristotle Baluyut Viray.
The filing marks the latest development in the high-profile case after the Sandiganbayan issued a precautionary hold departure order against Marcoleta in May while the Ombudsman conducted its preliminary investigation.
According to the Ombudsman, Marcoleta allegedly received the P75 million in three separate transactions: P30 million on Jan. 6, 2025, P25 million on Jan. 8, and P20 million on Jan. 9.
“The amount of P75 million was amassed and acquired by respondent Marcoleta in three separate occasions through unjust enrichment that clearly form a series or pattern directed toward the common goal or scheme of unlawfully enriching himself at the expense of the public,” the Ombudsman said.
Prosecutors alleged that although Marcoleta publicly admitted receiving the campaign contributions, the amount was not declared in his 2025 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) or in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) for his Senate campaign.
“By accepting money from private individuals amounting to P75 million, he fell short of upholding the standard of responsibility and integrity,” the Ombudsman said.
The anti-graft agency further alleged that Marcoleta, who was then serving as representative of the SAGIP Party-list, unjustly enriched himself by accepting what it described as an excessive amount of money from the three donors.
“Respondent Marcoleta unjustly enriched himself at the expense and prejudice of the Filipino people and the Republic of the Philippines when he accepted such excessive sum of money from respondents Defensor, Viray, and Espiritu,” it said.
Before the charges were filed, Marcoleta denied any wrongdoing and insisted the case was politically motivated.
“They form part of a deeper and more nefarious design — to intimidate independent voices, to punish dissent, and to warn every senator that the price of asking hard questions could lead to personal damnation,” Marcoleta said.
“If the intention of these cases is to silence me, let me say this at the beginning. It has failed. I will not be silenced,” he added.
The plunder case was raffled to the Sandiganbayan Third Division, while the three counts for alleged violations of Presidential Decree No. 46 were assigned to the Fourth, Sixth, and First Divisions.
The Fifth and Seventh Divisions did not participate in the raffle because they are already handling multiple cases related to the alleged flood control anomalies./PN
