EMBATTLED Sen. Rodante Marcoleta has pleaded not guilty before the Sandiganbayan to the charge of plunder and violation of Presidential Decree 46 which prohibits public officials from receiving gifts.
Marcoleta, through his lawyer Rodolfo Sabulao, pushed for the arraignment of the senator after moving for the withdrawal of his motion to quash the information in order to expedite the proceedings of his case.
Associate Justice Karl Miranda, chairperson of the antigraft court’s Third Division, asked Marcoleta if he consented to the withdrawal of his motion which the latter confirmed and that he arrived at the decision ‘without forced or intimidation.’
The senator also said that his move was thoroughly discussed with the counsels of his co-accused.
Marcoleta was arraigned alongside his co-accused, businessman Joseph Espiritu, who pleaded not guilty for violation of PD 46, which also prohibits private individuals from offering gifts to government officials.
Espiritu and other accused namely former lawmaker Michael Defensor and Aristotle Viray had previously entered not guilty pleas for plunder.
All the accused are currently detained at the Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory in Payatas.
The Sandiganbayan set the pretrial for the charge on August 10, 2026.
The plunder and violation of PD 46 charges stemmed from Marcoleta’s admission that he received campaign contributions from Defensor, Espiritu and Viray in the amount of P30 million, P25 million and P20 million, respectively, on various dates last January 2025.
However, the Ombudsman noted that Marcoleta failed to declare the amount in the statement of Contributions and Expenditures (Soce) that he submitted to the Commission on Elections or in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN) that he filed when he assumed office, which is tantamount to ‘unjust enrichment.’