Senator Marcoleta surrenders to Sandiganbayan over plunder charges

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Rodante Marcoleta has surrendered and is now in the custody of the Sandiganbayan, the anti-graft court, over plunder charges, his lawyer said. “He was here today. It was an act of good faith. It’s in effect a surrender to the jurisdiction of the court,” Marcoleta’s lawyer Patrick Velez told reporters. Marcoleta personally appeared before the anti-graft court’s 3rd Division earlier on Monday, July 6, where Associate Justice Karl Miranda said the court found probable cause against him and three co-accused. The 3rd Division has issued an arrest warrant and a hold-departure order against Marcoleta and three co-accused in a plunder case involving questions over his P75 million in campaign contributions, Miranda announced. The order was issued shortly before the scheduled start of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. Marcoleta is also facing three counts of alleged violation of Presidential Decree No. 46, which prohibits public officials from receiving gifts. The cases were assigned to the 1st, 4th and 6th Divisions. Plunder is a non-bailable offense, while violations of PD 46 are bailable. Also charged were former lawmaker Mike Defensor, Joseph Varias Espiritu and Aristotle Baluyut Viray. On July 3, the Office of the Ombudsman filed the plunder case over questions of Marcoleta’s campaign donations, telling the Sandiganbayan that it found prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction against the senator and his three campaign donors. In 2025, Marcoleta declared a net worth of P51 million but spent P112 million for his senatorial campaign. Must Read How Marcoleta spent P112.9 million in his 2025 election campaign Marcoleta said he had no poll contributions, but he later confirmed in an interview that he received P75 million in campaign donations. Here’s the breakdown of contributions: Defensor – P30 million Espiritu – P25 million Viray – P20 million The senator said he received the donations before the start of the campaign period, and that’s why he did not disclose it in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures. At the time, Marcoleta was a sitting congressman, representing the SAGIP party-list group. The threshold for plunder is at least P50 million. In May, the Sandiganbayan approved the Ombudsman’s request for a precautionary hold-departure order against Marcoleta and the three co-accused, when the plunder complaint was still pending with the prosecutors. “Nakahanda po akong magpakulong. Kung kinakailangan kong maaresto po, wala pong problema,” he said during the second day of the Iglesia ni Cristo-led rally at White Plains Avenue in Quezon City on July 1. (I am prepared to go to jail. If I have to be arrested, there is no problem.) – Rappler.com