Senator Rodante Marcoleta said that he openly surrendered himself to the Sandiganbayan on Monday, 6 July, as he believed that it was the right thing to do based on his understanding of the law.

Marcoleta appeared at the anti-graft court’s Third Division, which was raffled his case of plunder, for a hearing on his motions to quash the information and motion for reconsideration to suspend proceedings and issue a warrant of arrest.

The justices of the Sandiganbayan decided to deny the latter motion, noting that there was no means under the law that the issuance of a warrant of arrest could be prevented.

Despite the decision not being in their favor, the senator said that he still respected the process and was prepared to face the subsequent actions taken as part of the arrest.

“When I went here, I was expecting all the processes that the court may undertake. Like I said before, I will not hide, I will face the law,” he said.

“One of my desires when I got here was if the warrant of arrest was served, I will accept it,” he added.

Marcoleta would also thank the Sandiganbayan for acting promptly on his case and considering to review their motion to quash the information submitted by the Office of the Ombudsman.

The senator was accused of plunder as he received ₱75-million in “campaign donations” prior to the 2025 national elections from three individuals that were also implicated in the case.

The donors were identified as former congressman Mike Defensor, and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray.

Prior to the investigation of the Ombudsman, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) conducted a separate probe where it deemed that the issue could not be classified as an electoral defense.

Its decision was said to be built on a reason that the amount was not given to the then congressman at the House of Representatives prior to his declaration for candidacy.

For the Ombudsman, however, Marcoleta had conducted a clear violation of the anti-plunder law as it indicates that any public official was prohibited from receiving any gifts or donations that exceeded the ₱50-million peso threshold.

It was also found that the senator had failed to declare the amount on his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) or his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).

Marcoleta became the second sitting senator that was charged with plunder under the 20th Congress with Senator Jinggoy Estrada being arrested for the same case over allegations of flood control kickbacks.

Estrada is currently detained a the New Quezon City Jail - Male Dormitory in Payatas, the same prison that Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Karl Miranda said that Marcoleta would be imprisoned.