Senator Rodante Marcoleta pleads not guilty to plunder, gift-taking charges

Senator Rodante Marcoleta formally pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges of plunder and violating the anti-graft law prohibiting government officials from accepting gifts, clearing the way for his trial to move forward before the Sandiganbayan.

The Sandiganbayan’s Third Division is trying Marcoleta alongside former Rep. Mike Defensor and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray over an alleged ₱75-million campaign donation. State prosecutors allege Defensor contributed ₱30 million, Espiritu ₱25 million, and Viray ₱20 million to the fund, which was omitted from Marcoleta’s statement of assets and official campaign disclosures while he was serving as a party-list representative.

While Wednesday’s hearing was initially set only for the arraignment of Marcoleta and Espiritu on one count of violating Presidential Decree (PD) No. 46, Marcoleta’s counsel, Rodolfo Sabulao, requested that his client also be arraigned on the plunder charge to prevent further procedural delays. Sabulao informed the court that Marcoleta was withdrawing his pending motion to quash the plunder case to pave the way for the arraignment.

Before granting the request, Third Division Chairperson Associate Justice Karl Miranda asked Marcoleta if the decision was voluntary.

“It was, Your Honor. As a matter of fact, we discussed this thoroughly with the counsels of [my] co-accused,” Marcoleta replied.

Justice Miranda subsequently declared the motion to quash officially withdrawn.

Defensor, Espiritu, and Viray had previously entered not guilty pleas to the plunder charge during their arraignments last week.

Marcoleta remains in custody at the New Quezon City Jail in Barangay Payatas following his charge for plunder, a non-bailable offense. In addition to the plunder case, he faces three separate counts of violating PD No. 46 pending across different divisions of the anti-graft court:

First Division: Involves co-accused Aristotle Viray.

Fourth Division: Involves co-accused Mike Defensor, with both scheduled for arraignment later in the day.

Third Division: The single PD No. 46 charge heard during Wednesday’s session.