By Aaron Recuenco and Martin Sadongdong
Senator Rodante Marcoleta is now under arrest after the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division issued and served a warrant against him in connection with a ₱75 million plunder case.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed that Marcoleta surrendered at the Sandiganbayan on Monday morning, accompanied by his lawyers to file a motion to quash the case.
Remulla said Marcoleta is “already under arrest” and will undergo standard booking procedures, including mugshots, fingerprinting, and medical examination.
Since plunder is a non-bailable offense, Marcoleta is expected to be committed to the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas, where other high-profile detainees such as Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla are held.
The case stems from Marcoleta’s admission on his television program that he received ₱75 million in campaign donations from former congressman Mike Defensor and businessmen Aristotle Viray and Joseph Espiritu during his 2025 senatorial bid.
Prosecutors argued that the nondisclosure of the funds in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) constituted ill-gotten wealth, meeting the threshold for plunder under the Anti-Plunder Act.
With Marcoleta’s arrest completed, police operations are now focused on serving warrants against Defensor, Viray, and Espiritu.
Defensor, in a video statement, denounced the charges as baseless and claimed his detention was meant to silence him from exposing corruption in government.
“We fought corruption, yet we were the first to be jailed in a case that has no basis,” he said, vowing to continue his fight despite imprisonment.
He also criticized the timing of their arrest, saying they were jailed ahead of officials “who truly stole from the people’s coffers.”
The Sandiganbayan denied motions to quash the case and ruled that probable cause exists to proceed.
All four respondents are set to be committed to the Quezon City Jail while the case is pending.
