The Manila Times
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec)expressed readiness to assist and coordinate with the Office of the Ombudsman in its case against Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, even as its owninvestigation into the lawmaker has been dismissed, Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Saturday. In a statement, Garcia clarified that the poll body’s independent inquiry against Marcoleta was no longer active. “The Comelec is ready to help and coordinate with the Ombudsman,” Garcia said in Filipino. “On Comelec’s end, the motu proprio investigation against Senator Marcoleta has already been dismissed.” He added that the commission had not discussed any move to reopen the case. “With regard to reviving the case, Comelec hasn’t thought about it yet,” he said, adding that the agency has also not received any Motion for Reconsideration. Garcia’s remarks came amid a separate criminal complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman against Marcoleta, which recommendedcharges for plunder and three counts of indirect bribery over alleged campaign donations totaling P75 million. According to the complaint filed by the field investigation bureau of the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon on May 18, Marcoleta allegedly received campaign contributions from former representative Mike Defensor and two other individuals amounting to P30 million, P25 million, and P20 million, respectively, in January 2025. The complaint stated that the donations exceeded the P50-million threshold for plunder and may constitute indirect bribery, as they were allegedly received by reason of Marcoleta’s position as a public official. It also alleged that the contributions were not properly declared in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) and Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE), noting discrepancies between declared cash holdings and the reported P75 million in donations. The complainants further argued that Marcoleta’s failure to disclose the alleged contributions could expose him to administrative and criminal liabilities under the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials. The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered Marcoleta, along with his alleged donors, to submit counter-affidavits within 15 days, after which complainants may file their reply. Meanwhile, Garcia said the Comelec had previously concluded that no election offense was committed, citing that the alleged donations were made before the start of the official campaign period for the 2025 elections. He noted that under a 2009 Supreme Court ruling, liability for election offenses applies only once the campaign period begins. In March, Comelec’s Political Finance and Affairs Department had terminated its own investigation into the matter. Garcia reiterated that while the poll body wasno longer pursuing its own investigation, it remainedopen to coordinatingwith the Ombudsman if needed in connection with the case.
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