The Sandiganbayan’s Third Division on Monday ordered the arrest of Senator Rodante Marcoleta and three co-accused over a P75-million plunder case linked to campaign donations the lawmaker allegedly failed to declare during his 2025 senatorial run.
According to a news report, the anti-graft court found probable cause to proceed with the case after junking Marcoleta’s motions to have it dismissed. The senator attended the hearing in person.
The Court’s Ruling
Associate Justice Karl Miranda announced the warrant, explaining that its issuance only means the court believes, based on the records, that an offense may have been committed by the accused. He stressed the decision was rooted in law, not politics.
“The court has no politics,” Miranda told reporters, adding that the court answers only to the Constitution, the law, and the evidence presented.
He also reminded the public that a warrant is not a guilty verdict. All four accused, he said, still enjoy the presumption of innocence unless proven otherwise beyond reasonable doubt.
Ordered arrested alongside Marcoleta were his alleged donors: former Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Michael Defensor, and businessmen Joseph Varias Espiritu and Aristotle Baluyut Viray.
Why This Matters for the Accused
Plunder is a non-bailable offense. That means Marcoleta and the others must first file a petition for bail before they can walk free while the case moves forward.
On top of plunder, all four also face charges for violating Presidential Decree 46, which bars public officials from receiving gifts or benefits tied to their duties. Marcoleta faces three counts, while his co-accused each face one.
The Ombudsman’s Case
The Office of the Ombudsman filed the charges last Friday, saying the evidence gave it no room to look the other way. Prosecutors flagged three undeclared cash donations totaling P75 million:
- January 6, 2025 — P30 million
- January 8, 2025 — P25 million
- January 9, 2025 — P20 million
Investigators noted the donor’s tax was paid only in December 2025, which they argued pointed to concealment.
The Response
Marcoleta earlier defended the non-disclosure as utang na loob, saying he kept the donors’ identities private. The Ombudsman rejected that reasoning, stating gratitude cannot excuse a criminal act.
Defensor, for his part, insisted the donations involved no government funds and that no favors were exchanged. In a social media post, he vowed to face the charges and continue speaking out on the flood control controversy.