NAAWAN, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews / 2 July 2026) — The Ombudsman announced last week that a plunder case would be filed against Senator Rodante Marcoleta for his failure to disclose the amount of ₱75 million in election campaign contributions in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).
The SOCE is a crucial component of Philippine election law, governed primarily by the Omnibus Election Code (Batas Pambansa Blg. 881), Republic Act No. 7166, and pertinent resolutions of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). This document ensures transparency and accountability in campaign financing by requiring candidates, political parties, and other contributors to disclose their financial activities related to the election.
The apologists of Marcoleta claim that the plunder charge against the Senator is highly political, which is timed when the Senate is about to convene as an Impeachment Court to try VP Sara Duterte. Marcoleta is known as a die-hard ally of Duterte.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano on Tuesday denied the possible plunder case against Marcoleta was politically motivated, noting the lawmaker’s own submissions (his SOCE) provided the evidence underpinning the legal issues related to his election campaign funds.
“We have filed several cases against public officials, and that is their usual answer: that they are being persecuted, that it’s about politics. But the facts will speak for themselves,” Clavano said.
“And when you read the case, and you listen to the admission, you listen to the interviews, you will see that the case is quite clear-cut. That’s why it’s hard to see where Senator Marcoleta is coming from because the evidence used by our investigators came from him (Marcoleta),” he added.
Remulla earlier said that based on the findings of the Ombudsman Field Investigation Bureau, the alleged campaign contributions included ₱30 million from Mike Defensor, ₱25 million from Joseph Espiritu, and ₱20 million from Aristotle Viray.
The Office of the Ombudsman said the alleged donations were not, however, declared in Marcoleta’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).
In an earlier interview, Marcoleta acknowledged receiving the donations but maintained the cases filed against him were politically motivated and intended to intimidate government critics.
He added he did not disclose the campaign contributions from his friends during the 2025 polls because they wanted to remain anonymous.
His admission of not disclosing his campaign contributors was a direct admission of guilt, of his violation of the Election Code on SOCE and the Code of Ethics of Government Employees on the submission of SALN.
Because the undeclared amount and, presumably, illegally possessed wealth are above ₱50 million, the case amounts to plunder, which is what will be filed by the Ombudsman against the Senator.
That was the explanation of Deputy Ombudsman Mico Clavano when asked why the Office of the Ombudsman is pursuing a plunder case against Marcoleta even though the donation did not involve public funds.
The members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) held a mass rally at the EDSA Shrine on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, to show support and protest against the plunder case of their member Senator Rodante Marcoleta.
But no amount of mass action can bend the law. The case will have to proceed no matter how deafening the noise against it will be.
The spokesman in Malacañang said the legal case facing Marcoleta should be resolved through the country’s justice system rather than through mass demonstrations.
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. William R. Adan, Ph.D., is retired professor and former chancellor of Mindanao State University at Naawan, Misamis Oriental.)
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