PLUNDER VS MARCOLETA ISINAMPA NA

NAGSAMPA na nitong Biyernes ang Office of the Ombudsman ng kasong plunder sa Sandiganbayan laban kay Senador Rodante Marcoleta kaugnay ng P75 milyong campaign contributions na hindi niya idineklara sa kaniyang Statement of Contributions and Expenditures para sa 2025 senatorial elections.

Kinasuhan din ng plunder, indirect bribery, at paglabag sa presidential decree na nagbabawal sa public officials na tumanggap ng gifts ang mga campaign donor ni Marcoleta na sina dating congressman Michael Defensor, negosyanteng sina Joseph Varias Espiritu at Aristotle Baluyut Viray.

Noong huling bahagi ng Mayo, pinayagan ng Sandiganbayan ang hiling ng Ombudsman na maglabas ng precautionary hold departure order laban sa apat habang nasa preliminary investigation pa ang plunder complaint.

Ayon sa Ombudsman prosecutors, ‘unjustly enriched’ si Marcoleta matapos tanggapin ang “unconscionable” na P75 milyong regalo mula sa tatlong indibidwal.

Sinabi ng mga prosecutor na bagama’t inihayag ni Marcoleta sa mga panayam na nakatanggap siya ng P75 milyon bilang campaign donations, hindi ito nakasaad sa kaniyang 2025 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth o sa kaniyang SOCE para sa 2025 Senate bid.

“By accepting money from private individuals amounting to P75 million, he fell short of upholding the standard of responsibility and integrity,” ayon sa Ombudsman prosecutors.

Si Marcoleta ay kinatawan ng Social Amelioration and Genuine Intervention on Poverty party-list nang matanggap ang mga donasyon.

“Respondent Marcoleta unjustly enriched himself at the expense and prejudice of the Filipino people and the Republic of the Philippines when he accepted such excessive sum of money from respondents Defensor, Viray, and Espiritu,” ayon sa Ombudsman.

“They form part of a deeper and more nefarious design— to intimidate independent voices, to punish dissent, and to warn every senator that the price of asking hard questions could lead to personal damnation,” ani Marcoleta.

“If the intention of these cases is to silence me, let me say this at the beginning. It has failed. I will not be silenced,” dagdag niya.