Published 16 hours ago • loading... • Updated 24 hours ago
Another Philippine Senator Arrested on Allegations of Large-Scale Plunder
The anti-graft court found probable cause after saying Marcoleta failed to declare P75 million in campaign donations, a non-bailable offense under Philippine law.
On Monday, July 6, 2026, the Sandiganbayan Third Division arrested Senator Rodante Marcoleta after finding probable cause in a non-bailable P75-million plunder case involving undeclared campaign donations.
Prosecutors allege Marcoleta failed to declare P75 million in campaign donations from former lawmaker Mike Defensor and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray received in January 2025, exceeding the P50-million plunder threshold.
Authorities arrested co-accused Defensor and Espiritu on Monday, while businessman Aristotle Viray remains at large following the court's issuance of arrest warrants and hold-departure orders.
Marcoleta's detention creates immediate uncertainty for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, which began Monday, as he was scheduled to serve as a senator-judge on the panel.
The arrest follows multi-day protests by Iglesia ni Cristo members supporting the senator, while observers note a broader pattern of high-profile detentions targeting political allies within the Senate.
World Report reports on the arrest of Philippine Senator Rodante Marcoleta on a non-bailable plunder charge tied to P75 million in undeclared donations