Sen. Rodante Marcoleta moves to place Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa under Senate protective custody during the plenary session on Monday, May 11, 2026. Wendell Alinea, Senate Social Media Unit
MANILA -- The Commission on Elections on Saturday expressed readiness to help with the Office of the Ombudsman on the reported recommendation to file plunder and indirect bribery charges against Senator Rodante Marcoleta.
“Ready to help and coordinate ang COMELEC with Ombudsman. Sa end ng COMELEC, [dismissed] na ang moto proprio investigation laban kay Sen. Marcoleta,” Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia said.
“With regards sa pag-revive ng kaso, hindi pa naiisip ng COMELEC. Wala rin naman daw kasing Motion for Reconsideration (MR) na natanggap ang poll body,” he added.
Lacson claims Marcoleta committed indirect bribery as congressman; Marcoleta hits back
In March, the poll body cleared Marcoleta of election offenses but ordered the filing of complaints against three of his alleged 2025 campaign donors, including former congressman Mike Defensor.
It stemmed from Marcoleta’s admission in a television interview that he did not disclose campaign contributions from his friends during the 2025 midterm elections because they had wanted to remain anonymous.
He argued that since the funds were received a month before the official campaign period, they became "personal funds" under the Peñera doctrine, which states that a person is only considered a candidate at the start of the campaign period.
Meanwhile, Defensor told ABS-CBN News Saturday that he has yet to receive the reported order from the Ombudsman but assured that he will release a statement soon.
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