Camille Naredo

Sen. Rodante Marcoleta leads the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged anomalous flood control projects in the country on September 8, 2025. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

Sen. Rodante Marcoleta leads the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged anomalous flood control projects in the country on September 8, 2025.
Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

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Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177320674942020250908-senate-blue-ribbon-marcoleta-MD.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Sen. Rodante Marcoleta leads the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged anomalous flood control projects in the country on September 8, 2025. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File" width="960"/>Sen. Rodante Marcoleta leads the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged anomalous flood control projects in the country on September 8, 2025. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</div>MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday cited &quot;complications&quot; in resolving the issue surrounding the Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) of Senator Rodante Marcoleta after a related complaint was referred by the Office of the Ombudsman earlier this week.Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the poll body&#x27;s Political Finance and Affairs Department (PFAD) has already drafted a resolution on the matter, but the commission must also consider the details contained in the newly filed complaint.Garcia on February 19 told ABS-CBN News that PFAD had already completed its fact-finding probe into Marcoleta&#x27;s SOCE and could elevate its findings to the poll body&#x27;s Law Department if they see the need for a preliminary investigation.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/19/comelec-done-with-fact-finding-probe-on-marcoleta-s-soce-1043">READ MORE: Comelec done with fact-finding probe on Marcoleta&#x27;s SOCE</a></div>&quot;Gusto ko lang sabihin na ang iniimbestigahan patungkol kay Senator Marcoleta ay hindi lang factual na issue, isang legal na issue. Ang sinetup niya na depensa para maging maliwanag lang – inamin, tama may nagbigay sa kanya na donasyon, binigay sa kanya pagkatapos niya mag-file ng kandidatura noong October ng 2024 subalit ang kanyang kontensyon, hindi siya kandidato at the time na ibinigay ang naturang donasyon,&quot; Garcia said. According to Garcia, Marcoleta&#x27;s defense is anchored on the Supreme Court ruling in the case of Peñera vs. Comelec.&quot;Yan ang sinasabi niya na dapat hindi siya maparusahan o hindi siya makasuhan, kung tumanggap siya ng regalo, donasyon, kaninuman noong panahon na hindi pa siya kandidato,&quot; said Garcia. In a 2009 decision involving Rosalinda Peñera – then mayor of Sta. Monica, Surigao del Norte – the Supreme Court held that a candidate is only liable for election offenses only upon the start of the campaign period.Garcia said Marcoleta had submitted affidavits and documents indicating the dates of the supposed donations, which are currently being evaluated by the commission.He emphasized that PFAD already has a recommendation on this. &quot;Mayroon nang rekomendasyon ang [PFAD] patungkol sa kaso na yan, kanila namang binigyan ng pagkakataon na makasagot yung naturang personalidad kung kaya nga lang nagkaroon ng kaunting komplikasyon,&quot; he said. &quot;Dapat maglalabas na kami, kaya lang biglang na-complicate kasi Ombudsman na mismo ang nag-refer sa amin ng mismong complaint na yun (JC) Parehas ang kaso, parehas ang akusasyon, parehas ang alegasyon. Ang tanong pwede ba naming i-consolidate o dapat magkaiba ang treatment?&quot; he said. <div> </div><div>OMBUDSMAN REFERS COMPLAINT; COMELEC EN BANC DISCUSSION UNDERWAY </div>The Comelec this week received a referral from the Office of the Ombudsman involving a complaint against Marcoleta concerning both his SOCE and his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN). Garcia said the poll body has jurisdiction over the SOCE aspect of the complaint.He added that the matter has already been forwarded to the Comelec Law Department. &quot;Paano ba mako-complicate and rekomendasyon na ginawa ng PFAD versus sa finile ngayon na pormal na complaint na nasa law department. Ito ay finile kung hindi ako nagkakamali ng Kontra Daya,&quot; said Garcia.Garcia said it remains to be seen whether PFAD&#x27;s findings would influence the Law Department&#x27;s disposition of the case, or if the latter&#x27;s evaluation would serve as the basis for PFAD&#x27;s final recommendation. &quot;Yun bang findings ng PFAD ay makakaimpluwensya sa magiging disposition ng law department? In the same manner, yung magiging disposition ng law department ay dapat maging basehan ng PFAD? Kung ano man ang magiging rekomendasyon ng PFAD, ito ay dadaan mismo sa opisina ng law department,&quot; he added. &quot;Hindi namin puwede balewalain ang bawat isa sapagkat may karapatan sa due process ang personalidad,&quot; he said. <div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/10/lacson-claims-marcoleta-committed-indirect-bribery-as-congressman-marcoleta-hits-back-2057">READ: Lacson claims Marcoleta committed indirect bribery as congressman; Marcoleta hits back</a></div>The Comelec, he said, is aware of Sen. Panfilo Lacson&#x27;s privilege speech against Marcoleta, criticizing Comelec&#x27;s handling of the SOCE issue. Comelec&#x27;s en banc is currently discussing the matter today in their session. &quot;We have to come up immediately with a disposition sapagkat alam namin ang interes ng taumbayan dito sa issue,&quot; he said. Kontra Daya Convenor Danilo Arao late last year said Marcoleta&#x27;s SOCE was &quot;highly questionable and practically impossible.&quot;He noted that Marcoleta&#x27;s SOCE declared over P112 million in campaign expenses without contributions. But his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) showed his net worth at only P52 million, which is just about 46 percent of his campaign expenses.In a TV interview, Marcoleta said he did not disclose campaign contributions from his friends during the 2025 midterm elections because they wanted to remain anonymous.Yesterday, Lacson said Marcoleta committed indirect bribery as a member of the House of Representatives.

The Comelec on Wednesday cited "complications" in resolving the issue surrounding the Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) of Senator Rodante Marcoleta after a related complaint was referred by the Office of the Ombudsman earlier this week.

The Comelec on Wednesday cited "complications" in resolving the issue surrounding the Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) of Senator Rodante Marcoleta after a related complaint was referred by the Office of the Ombudsman earlier this week.

Comelec sees 'complication' in resolving Marcoleta's SOCE matter; vows to fast-track resolution

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Comelec sees 'complication' in resolving Marcoleta's SOCE matter; vows to fast-track resolution

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 11, 2026 01:30 PM PHT

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Commission on Elections

Comelec

SOCE

Statement of Contributions and Expenditures

Rodante Marcoleta

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