The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc has cleared Senator Rodante Marcoleta of any election offense in connection with his 2025 midterm campaign, ruling that there was no evidence to show he committed any violation.
However, the Commission adopted the recommendation to file election offense charges against his contributors for failing to submit their individual reports of contributions within 30 days after the elections.
In its resolution, the Comelec en banc upheld the findings of the Political Finance and Affairs Department (PFAD), which identified Michael Tan Defensor, Joseph Varias Espiritu, and Aristotle Baluyut Viray as among those liable.
The poll body also adopted the recommendation to terminate the investigation, citing the absence of further evidence against Marcoleta.
In an interview on Net 25, Marcoleta explained that he withheld details about campaign donations in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) because his contributors had requested anonymity.
In his SOCE, available on the Comelec website, he declared zero contributions received but reported spending ₱112 million during the May 2025 midterm polls. Meanwhile, his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) reflected a net worth of ₱51.96 million.
He said his friends asked him to accept their donations on the condition that their identities remain confidential.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia reiterated that under the law, all contributions in connection with the elections must be reported.
Under Section 107 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC), every candidate and the treasurer of a political party shall, not later than seven days or earlier than ten days before the day of the election, file in duplicate a full, true, and itemized statement of all contributions and expenditures in connection with the election.
In his verified position paper submitted on Jan. 6, 2026, Marcoleta’s camp confirmed receipt of a total of ₱75 million from three individuals on three separate occasions, but noted that the amounts were received more than a month before the commencement of the official campaign period for candidates.
Since he was not yet considered a candidate at the time the contributions were made and accepted, those funds could not have been intended to influence the results of the elections.
“Instead, it formed part of his personal funds, which would deem it as funds not covered by the SOCE,” the position paper stated. (Dhel Nazario)
