Plunder case vs. Marcoleta based on merit, not politics -- Ombudsman official

The Ombudsman’s Office has clarified that the charges being filed against officials linked to corruption, including Senator Rodante Marcoleta, are based on merit and not on political motives. Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano issued the statement amidst ongoing protest actions along EDSA by thousands of people, including members of Iglesia ni Cristo, against the potential filing of a plunder case against Marcoleta over undeclared donations worth P75 million. "What I saw in their placards…their battle cry is accountability and transparency. And if you saw the press conference of the Ombudsman in its entirety, he mentioned a lot of cases to be filed. There are congressmen contractors who we have been investigating for quite a while. We understand the plight; we understand what they're fighting for, but we ourselves are fighting for the same things," Clavano said during a press conference. He added, "When you read the case [on Marcoleta], and you listen to the admissions, and you listen to the interviews, you will see that the case is quite clear-cut. It's hard to see where Senator Marcoleta is coming from because the evidence used by my investigators came from his own admission." Marcoleta had previously stated in media interviews that he received campaign donations worth P75 million but failed to declare them in his Statement of Campaign Expenditures (SOCE). Clavano further revealed that it was later discovered that Marcoleta also did not disclose the P75 million in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN). "From the admissions of Senator Marcoleta, he received the P75 million. But he did not declare it in his SALN or SOCE. Besides, the law prohibits all public officials from accepting such a huge amount of gift except if it is a campaign donation. But then again, he did not declare it in his SOCE," Clavano explained. Earlier, Marcoleta had claimed that the Ombudsman’s move to file charges against him was an attempt by the Marcos administration to silence dissent. "My only sin is to serve you, if that can be called a sin—to face them with all courage so that you may know the truth," Marcoleta stated. "But if they arrest me, that won't continue. They thought it would be buried in oblivion," Marcoleta added.