Dismissing the allegations as part of a smear campaign, Sen. Rodante Marcoleta has denied any conflict of interest involving his wife’s role in insurance firms linked to contractors under investigation in the flood control scandal.
Marcoleta clarified that his wife Edna serves only as an independent director and audit committee chair at Stronghold Insurance Co. Inc.
‘They didn’t even bother to research what an independent director means. An independent director cannot qualify if you have relatives who own the company. You must be independent. Your role is only to protect the minority shareholders,’ Marcoleta said in Filipino over radio dzRH.
His remarks came after reports surfaced that Stronghold had provided bonds to companies owned by Curlee and Sarah Discaya, who are under investigation for allegedly cornering ghost and substandard flood-control projects.
The senator, who previously chaired the Senate Blue Ribbon committee leading the probe, has drawn attention for his handling of the Discayas’ testimony.
During a suspended hearing, Sen. Panfilo Lacson questioned Marcoleta’s perceived protectiveness toward the Discayas, which he immediately denied.
According to a Bilyonaryo news report, a notarized acknowledgment in 2022 showed that Sarah, through Alpha and Omega Contractor, personally transacted with Stronghold for a bond obligation.
Records further revealed that Marcoleta’s wife also sat on the 2023 board of Milestone Guaranty and Assurance, which issued a P19.29-million bond for Elite General Contractor, another Discaya-owned firm.
The bond covered a P192.9-million flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, which Senate investigators later flagged as non-existent.
Despite the links, Marcoleta rejected insinuations that his wife’s affiliations compromised his independence as a legislator.
‘That’s what they want to suggest. All they want is to destroy [my reputation] in any way possible,’ he said.
Stronghold Insurance has also denied any link to the alleged corruption scandal, saying recent reports unfairly malign the company and Marcoleta’s wife.
The firm clarified that Edna was elected to the board only in February 2024 and holds no role in management or bond issuance decisions.
Stronghold explained that surety bonds for DPWH projects are a legal requirement and available to all qualified contractors, noting that ‘the Discaya-owned firms were simply just one of their many clients.’