Ombudsman files plunder case vs Marcoleta over P75-M campaign donation

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Rodante Marcoleta is facing a non-bailable plunder case before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan due to questions about his P75-million campaign donations.

The Office of the Ombudsman filed the case on Friday, July 3. Aside from plunder, Marcoleta is also charged with three counts of alleged violation of Presidential Decree No. 46 (receiving gifts).

The other accused are:

• Former lawmaker Mike Defensor
• Joseph Varias Espiritu
• Aristotle Baluyut Viray

The plunder case against Marcoleta was filed amid the Iglesia ni Cristo’s (INC) days-long demonstrations in Metro Manila to protest his plunder investigation. The INC held the protests immediately after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla announced on June 29 that his office will file the non-bailable plunder charge against the INC senator.

Marcoleta’s case stemmed from an Ombudsman complaint over questions on Marcoleta’s campaign donations.

The senator declared a net worth of P51 million in 2025, but spent P112 million for his senatorial campaign. The senator, who placed 6th during the 2025 senatorial race, declared no poll contributions.

However, he himself later confirmed he received P75 million in campaign donations, but said this happened before the start of the campaign period.

Marcoleta defended this act by explaining that he did not include the amount in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures because he was not yet a candidate when he received it. He was, however, a sitting congressman at the time.

For the Ombudsman, this already constituted plunder, which punishes public officials for amassing ill-gotten wealth. Plunder was also the complaint because its threshold is at least P50 million, and the amount in question is P75 million.

According to a high-level source, apart from Marcoleta’s admission that he received the amount, the Ombudsman found evidence of alleged conspiracy between Marcoleta and his fellow respondents.

Marcoleta himself had said that he was prepared to go to jail if the Office of the Ombudsman files plunder charges against him. – Rappler.com