Sandiganbayan Postpones Arraignment, Pretrial for Marcoleta Plunder Case

MANILA, Philippines — The arraignment and pretrial proceedings for the plunder case against Sen. Rodante Marcoleta and his three co-accused, scheduled for July 10, were postponed, the Sandiganbayan Third Division clerk of court said on Wednesday. The plunder case against Marcoleta, former Rep. Mike Defensor and businessmen Aristotle Viray and Joseph Espiritu stems from the P75 million campaign donation the senator received while serving as a party-list lawmaker, which, according to state prosecutors, was not declared in his financial and campaign disclosures. “The arraignment and pretrial scheduled this Friday, July 10, is cancelled due to pending motions,” Atty. Dennis Pulma, the Third Division clerk of court, told reporters. Pulma said Marcoleta, Defensor, and Espiritu have each filed a motion to quash, seeking the dismissal of their plunder case. Viray, on the other hand, filed a motion for bail before the court, according to Pulma. He said the court has yet to set the next schedule for the accused’s pretrial and arraignment, which mark the formal start of the criminal proceedings, during which they will be asked to enter a guilty or not guilty plea. The arrest warrant for Marcoleta and his co-accused was issued on Monday. Defensor, Espiritu, and Viray have returned their warrants and have since been detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Barangay Payatas. Marcoleta, on the other hand, was hospitalized due to chest pains and elevated blood pressure. Once he is cleared, the senator is expected to return to the Sandiganbayan Third Division before being committed to the same jail facility where Defensor, Espiritu, and Viray are being held.