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Sen. Rodante Marcoleta joins a plenary session, August 6, 2025. Joseph B. Vidal, OSP /File

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SENATE- IMPEACHMENT VOTE- SC DECISION

Kaxandra Salonga

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177381446746320250806-senate-impeachment-vote-marcoleta-OSP-2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Sen. Rodante Marcoleta joins a plenary session, August 6, 2025. Joseph B. Vidal, OSP /File </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) may have terminated its <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/11/comelec-sees-complication-in-resolving-marcoleta-s-soce-matter-1330">investigation </a>into Sen. Rodante Marcoleta’s alleged campaign finance violations, but it ordered the filing of complaints against three of his alleged 2025 campaign donors.</p><p>In an en banc resolution dated March 18, the poll body adopted the recommendations of its Political Finance and Affairs Department (PFAD) to halt its fact-finding investigation on the senator.</p><p>The investigation was sparked by Marcoleta’s own admissions during a television program, where he reportedly justified a discrepancy between his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) and his election expenses by claiming he received P75 million in contributions from friends.</p><p>Marcoleta later admitted in a verified position paper that he did not declare these amounts in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) because the donors requested anonymity. </p><p>He argued that since the funds were <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/20/marcoleta-s-defense-campaign-contributions-were-given-before-he-was-a-candidate-0842">received a month before the official campaign period</a>, they became &quot;personal funds&quot; under the Peñera doctrine, which states that a person is only considered a candidate at the start of the campaign period.</p><p>The Comelec PFAD noted that Marcoleta failed to comply with Section 109 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC) regarding the detailed reporting of contributions, but clarified such a violation is no longer an election offense.</p><p>&quot;The directive imposed by Section 109 of the OEC to the candidate remains to be valid... However, due to the later law passed by Congress (RA 7166), it is one of the sections in the OEC that a violation of which, will no longer constitute an election offense,&quot; read the resolution signed by Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia.</p><p>However, the Commission found that the Peñera doctrine applies only to candidates, not to donors, whose reporting requirements remain mandatory under Section 99 of the OEC.</p><p>The poll body ordered the Law Department to conduct a preliminary investigation against Michael Tan Defensor, Joseph Varias Espiritu and Aristotle Baluyut Viray for allegedly failing to submit their individual Report of Contributions (ROC) within 30 days after the election.</p><p>“For PFAD to file a complaint for election offense before the Law Department for the conduct of preliminary investigation against the three contributors of the Respondent… due to their failure to submit their respective individual Report of Contributions within (30) days after the election,” the resolution read.</p><p>&quot;Submission of said report is mandatory. Failure to observe such legal obligation constitutes an election offense for which any contributor may be held liable,&quot; the PFAD recommendation read.</p><div><iframe width="1023" height="575" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lcH_Ao93JyE" title="Marcoleta&#x27;s defense: Campaign contributions were given before he was a candidate | DZMM TeleRadyo" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><iframe width="1023" height="575" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AGjI_ZJ1e3w" title="Comelec natapos na ang imbestigasyon sa discrepancies sa SOCE ni Marcoleta | TV Patrol" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The Commission on Elections (Comelec) may have terminated its investigation into Sen. Rodante Marcoleta’s alleged campaign finance violations, but it ordered the filing of complaints against three of his alleged 2025 campaign donors.</p>

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) may have terminated its investigation into Sen. Rodante Marcoleta’s alleged campaign finance violations, but it ordered the filing of complaints against three of his alleged 2025 campaign donors.

Comelec clears Marcoleta in SOCE probe, orders election complaints vs Defensor, other campaign donors

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Comelec clears Marcoleta in SOCE probe, orders election complaints vs Defensor, other campaign donors

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 18, 2026 02:31 PM PHT

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