Daily Tribune
Sen. Rodante Marcoleta arrives at the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City on Wednesday, 15 July, for a hearing on the plunder case stemming from the alleged misuse of a P75-million donation involving former congressman Mike Defensor. 📸: Analy Labor
ANALY LABOR
The Sandiganbayan Third Division on Wednesday deferred the arraignment of Senator Rodante Marcoleta on charges of plunder and violation of Presidential Decree No. 46 pending the resolution of his motion to quash.
His co-accused — former Representative Mike Defensor and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray — entered not guilty pleas to the plunder charge. The court reset Marcoleta’s arraignment to 22 July.
The court also ordered Marcoleta’s commitment to the Quezon City Jail–Male Dormitory after an independent medical evaluation by UP-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) doctors found he had fully recovered from pneumonia and was fit for detention.
UP-PGH director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi said a panel of five senior internal medicine consultants unanimously concluded that Marcoleta no longer required hospitalization, with all test results showing normal. He said the senator only needed maintenance medication for hypertension.
Legaspi also confirmed that Marcoleta had contracted pneumonia, based on X-rays and his medical record at the Philippine National Police General Hospital where the senator had been confined since 6 July.
“I asked for an independent review of the X-rays from the PNP hospital. They agreed that there was pneumonia and the medication given took effect because it cleared up,” Legaspi told reporters.
The plunder charge stemmed from Marcoleta’s alleged receipt of P75 million before the 2025 national elections from his co-accused.
Prosecutors allege the amount constituted a prohibited gift under the Anti-Plunder Law and Presidential Decree No. 46, which bar public officials from receiving gifts in connection with their office.
The money was allegedly provided by Defensor, Espiritu, and Viray and was not declared in Marcoleta’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) and Statement of Campaign Contributions and Expenditures.
The controversy arose after Marcoleta disclosed the donations during an online interview on 7 November 2025, prompting a complaint before the Commission on Elections (Comelec). The poll body later ruled that no election offense had been committed since the funds were received before Marcoleta filed his certificate of candidacy for the 2025 elections.
The Office of the Ombudsman, however, proceeded with plunder and graft-related charges.
Separately, Viray filed a petition for bail despite plunder being a non-bailable offense, arguing that the evidence against him was not strong. The petition is pending before the Sandiganbayan.
Marcoleta transferred to QC jail
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) on Wednesday confirmed it had taken custody of Senator Rodante Marcoleta, who was transferred to the Quezon City Jail–Male Dormitory in Payatas following a commitment order issued by the Sandiganbayan Third Division.
“The BJMP confirms the commitment into custody of Senator Rodante Dizon Marcoleta to the Quezon City Jail–Male Dormitory at 10:49 a.m. on July 15, 2026, pursuant to a Commitment Order issued by the Sandiganbayan Third Division for plunder and violation of Presidential Decree No. 46,” BJMP spokesperson Jail Supt. Jayrex Bustinera told the DAILY TRIBUNE.
He stressed that “no special treatment will be given to any PDL under the Bureau’s custody.”
The Department of the Interior and Local Government said the transfer was carried out in compliance with the Sandiganbayan’s commitment order.
