The Office of the Ombudsman maintained that the filing of criminal charges against Senator Rodante Marcoleta and other public officials accused of corruption is anchored on evidence and legal merit, rejecting claims that the cases are politically motivated.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano made the statement as thousands of protesters, including members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), gathered along EDSA to oppose the impending plunder case against Marcoleta over his alleged failure to declare P75 million in campaign donations.
Clavano said the Ombudsman’s office shares the protesters’ call for accountability and transparency, stressing that its investigations are driven by evidence, not politics.
“What I saw in their placards, their battle cry is accountability and transparency… We understand what they’re fighting for, but we ourselves are fighting for the same things,” Clavano said during a press conference.
He added that the evidence against Marcoleta is based largely on the senator’s own admissions.
“When you read the case and listen to the admissions and interviews, you will see that the case is quite clear-cut. The evidence used by our investigators actually came from Senator Marcoleta himself,” Clavano said.
According to the Ombudsman, Marcoleta admitted receiving P75 million in campaign donations but failed to declare the amount in his Statement of Campaign Expenditures (SOCE).
Clavano said investigators also found that the amount was not reflected in Marcoleta’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
“From the admissions of Senator Marcoleta, he received the P75 million. But he did not declare it in his SALN or SOCE. Besides, the law prohibits public officials from accepting such a huge amount as a gift unless it is a campaign donation. But then again, he did not declare it in his SOCE,” Clavano said.
Marcoleta has denied any wrongdoing, insisting that the charges are politically motivated and intended to silence critics of the Marcos administration.
In previous media interviews, the senator said his only “offense” was standing up for the public and speaking against the government.
He also claimed that his possible arrest was meant to prevent him from continuing to expose what he described as the truth behind the allegations.
