Marcoleta's donors funded 2025 Senate bid, witness says

Three individuals who donated money to then Sagip party-list Representative Rodante Marcoleta did so to support his possible 2025 Senate candidacy, a witness from the Office of the Ombudsman told the anti-graft court. Field Investigation Bureau Director Maria Melinda Mananghaya-Henson cited the Deed of Donation executed by Michael Defensor, Joseph Varias Espiritu, and Aristotle Baluyut Viray, making the testimony before the Sandiganbayan Third Division during the hearing on Marcoleta's pending bail petition. The Deed of Donation stated that they gave the money to Marcoleta “for and in consideration of my support for the possible candidacy of Donee (Marcoleta) in the May 12, 2025 elections.” Defensor, Espiritu, and Viray are all Marcoleta’s co-accused in the P75 million plunder case over Marcoleta’s alleged failure to declare the said P75 million under his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE). During the same hearing, a video of Marcoleta saying that he willfully refused to declare the P75 million campaign donation he received from his donors was played before the anti-graft court. “Kapag naglagay ako ng figure sa contribution, mapipilitan ako mag-disclose ng pangalan nila dahil mayroon kaakibat na kung tawagin ay deed of acceptance of donation. Papaano iyon? Sabi niya, binigay ko nga sa iyo ‘yan. Ituring mo na lang na utang. Dahil sa hindi ko pwedeng isiwalat ang kanilang identity, kaya sinabi ko, zero in contribution,” Marcoleta said in the video of his television show. Nelson Lubao, who interviewed Marcoleta during the said television episode, had earlier asked the court to be excused as a witness for the prosecution. Ahead of Henson’s testimony, prosecution witness Atty. Victoria Kadeja Besinio of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Political Finance and Affairs Department also testified that Marcoleta, in his position paper submitted to the poll body, said the P75 million formed part of his personal funds. The Office of the Ombudsman assured the public that "there is very strong evidence on record that warranted the filing of the case" against Marcoleta and his co-accused.