Sandiganbayan sets hearings on Senator Marcoleta's suspension, plunder bail petition

The Sandiganbayan Third Division on Friday set tentative hearing dates to address Senator Rodante Marcoleta’s petition for bail and his potential preventive suspension due to his pending plunder case.

Associate Justice Karl Miranda, who chairs the division, announced the schedule during a pretrial proceeding for Marcoleta and his three co-accused.

The court tentatively scheduled the hearing on Marcoleta’s preventive suspension for August 18, while proceedings for his bail petition are set to begin on September 3.

The antigraft court had previously ordered Marcoleta on July 22 to show cause as to why he should not be preventively suspended from the Senate. Miranda noted that Marcoleta filed a manifestation on August 3 requesting the court to defer the suspension order—a filing to which state prosecutors have yet to respond.

Regarding the bail application, Miranda confirmed that Marcoleta and his co-accused—former lawmaker Mike Defensor and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray—separately filed petitions seeking temporary liberty. Plunder is a non-bailable offense under Philippine law unless the court deems the evidence of guilt is not strong.

Prosecutors allege that Marcoleta received ₱75 million in campaign donations during his tenure as a party-list representative, which he subsequently omitted from his required financial and campaign disclosures.

During Friday’s hearing, both sides reached several factual stipulations. Notably, Marcoleta personally agreed to stipulate his status as a public official—a party-list representative—during the period covered by the charge, resolving an initial objection from the defense on a key element of the crime of plunder.

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Sandiganbayan Schedules Hearings on Sen. Marcoleta’s Suspension, Bail Plea

The Sandiganbayan Third Division has set tentative dates to resolve Senator Rodante Marcoleta’s bail petition and a pending motion for his preventive suspension over an ongoing plunder charge.

During Friday's pretrial proceedings, Division Chairperson Associate Justice Karl Miranda slated the preventive suspension hearing for August 18, with the bail petition hearings to follow on September 3.

The anti-graft court previously directed Marcoleta on July 22 to explain why he should not be suspended from office. While Marcoleta filed an August 3 manifestation asking the court to hold the suspension order in abeyance, prosecutors have yet to comment.

Marcoleta faces non-bailable plunder charges alongside former congressman Mike Defensor and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray. The prosecution alleges Marcoleta failed to report ₱75 million in campaign contributions received while serving as a party-list representative.

All four accused are currently seeking temporary freedom through separate bail applications.

The court also secured a key admission during Friday’s session: after initial resistance from defense counsel, Marcoleta personally confirmed his willingness to stipulate that he held public office at the time of the alleged offense—a core requirement for establishing a plunder charge.