MANILA — Malacañang on Monday denied any role in the Ombudsman’s move to pursue plunder and bribery charges against Sen. Rodante Marcoleta over alleged undisclosed campaign donations totaling P75 million, insisting the case was triggered by documents the lawmaker himself submitted to government agencies.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Office of the Ombudsman operates independently and is beyond the control of the administration amid accusations that the complaint was politically motivated.
“They will again claim that this is political persecution… We want the people to know… This evidence did not come from the administration, it came directly from Senator Marcoleta himself,” Castro said in a radio interview.
Castro said the allegations stemmed from Marcoleta’s own statement of contributions and expenditures (SOCE) and statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN), which later drew scrutiny from the public and media.
“He submitted his SOCE and SALN. When he showed his SALN, netizens, the media themselves scrutinized his SALN,” she added.
In a complaint-affidavit dated May 18, the Ombudsman’s Field Investigation Bureau recommended the filing of plunder charges under Republic Act 7080 and violation of Presidential Decree No. 46 against Marcoleta, former Quezon City congressman Mike Defensor, Joseph Varias Espiritu, and Aristotle Baluyut Viray.
Investigators also recommended that Marcoleta face an indirect bribery charge.
The recommendation arose from an earlier investigation by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) involving the alleged non-disclosure of campaign donations in Marcoleta’s SOCE.
According to investigators, the alleged P75-million donation exceeded the P50-million threshold required for plunder cases. They further noted that the amount allegedly received by Marcoleta was not reflected in his SALN filed with the Senate as of June 30 last year.
During the Comelec proceedings, Marcoleta reportedly admitted receiving three separate donations in January 2025 amounting to P75 million.
Investigators said Defensor allegedly donated P30 million, while Espiritu and Viray allegedly contributed P25 million and P20 million, respectively.
Meanwhile, Comelec chairperson George Garcia said the poll body is prepared to coordinate with the Ombudsman regarding the investigation.
Garcia, however, clarified that the Comelec’s motu proprio investigation against Marcoleta had already been dismissed after the poll body found no election offense because the alleged donations were made before the official campaign period for the 2025 elections.
“With regard to reviving the case, the Comelec has not yet considered it. The poll body has also not received any Motion for Reconsideration,” Garcia said in a statement./PN
