The Office of the Ombudsman has filed plunder complaint against Senator Rodante Marcoleta and his co-accused before the Sandiganbayan. The case involves a P75-million gift received by Marcoleta during his senatorial run.
Investigators said former Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor, Aristotle Viray and Joseph Espiritu reportedly handed Marcoleta P30 million, P25 million and P20 million in January 2025. The donations were designed to help finance his Senate bid.
Marcoleta, in his counter-affidavit, maintained that the P75 million was not public money, even if it was above the P50-million threshold stipulated by the Anti-Plunder Law, or Republic Act 7080.
The state prosecutors noted that Marcoleta failed to include this sum in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) as of June 30, 2025. That SALN, however, only disclosed P39.6 million, which he said he earned from 1992 up to June 2025. His December 2025 SALN showed only P16.7 million in cash and savings.
The missing sum was revealed by Marcoleta in his counter-affidavit. “The donations were also not included in my Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) because by the time the SALNs were prepared and executed, the amounts had already been spent for their intended election-related activities and were no longer assets in my possession, he said.
The plunder case is currently with the Sandiganbayan, the special court that deals with corruption accusations against government officials.
