Senator Marcoleta arrested for plunder before Senate begins VP impeachment trial

Senator Rodante Marcoleta, an ally of Vice President Sara Duterte, was arrested on Monday on a P75-million plunder charge, hours before the Senate is scheduled to begin the impeachment trial of the Philippines' second-highest official.

Marcoleta was due to sit as a senator-judge on Monday at the impeachment trial against Duterte.

Last week, the Office of the Ombudsman filed non-bailable plunder charges against Sen. Rodante Marcoleta over P75 million in undeclared campaign contributions allegedly received for his 2025 Senate bid.

Marcoleta has been charged with three counts of violating Presidential Decree No. 46, which prohibits public officers from accepting gifts while in office, according to a report of the Philippine News Agency.

His co-accused in this case include former Quezon City Congressman Mike Defensor, Joseph Esperitu, and Aristotle Viray.It was unclear as of posting time whether the charging of Marcoleta would affect the impeachment trial especially as, in the Philippines, people charged with plunder are not eligible for bail. This implies that Marcoleta could not be physically present for the impeachment trial of the vice president.

 The Vice President, if convicted by a two-thirds majority in the 24-member Senate, could be barred from running in the 2028 elections, where she remains the frontrunner to succeed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The Sandiganbayan, the anti-graft court ordered Marcoleta's arrest after the Ombudsman's office had accused him of accepting 75 million pesos ($1.2 million) from private donors during his 2025 Senate run, violating anti-corruption laws.

It also issued a hold departure order against the senator, preventing him from leaving the country.

"After evaluating the records, the court found probable cause to believe that the accused committed the offence charged," anti-graft court Judge Karl Miranda said in a statement.

Police arrested Marcoleta inside the courthouse on Monday, after the senator showed up to oppose the arrest order.

"I will not hide. I will face the law and the charges according to my understanding of the law," Marcoleta told reporters.

Last month, Senator Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada was detained on charges of plunder on suspicion of taking kickbacks from infrastructure projects. Estrada, who is also seen as a supporter of Duterte, has been suspended from performing his duties as senator and will not be able to attend the opening of the trial.

The prospect of Marcoleta's arrest triggered protests last week, organised by a religious group with 2 million members, that crippled traffic in the capital Manila and forced Marcos to cancel engagements outside the presidential palace.

Marcos and Duterte successfully ran on a joint ticket in 2022, but their alliance has since unravelled and turned into a bitter rivalry.

($1 = 61.4830 Philippine pesos)

Paraluman News with reports from Reuters (Mikhail Flores and Nestor Corrales; Editing by John Mair/Reuters