Jamaine Punzalan

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

Article (news)

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/177978514697120250806-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 </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA (<strong>UPDATED</strong>) -- The Sandiganbayan Seventh Division on Tuesday issued a precautionary travel ban against Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, former Quezon City Rep. Michael Defensor, and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray.</p><p>This came after the court <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/26/sandiganbayan-phdo-application-vs-marcoleta-defensor-submitted-for-resolution-1330">conducted an ex parte hearing</a> on the Office of the Ombudsman&#x27;s request to prevent the respondents from leaving the country, following its Field Investigation Bureau&#x27;s recommendation to file plunder and indirect bribery charges against the senator over his alleged failure to disclose P75 million in campaign donations from his co-respondents in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).</p><p>During the hearing, investigators from the graft-busting body presented testimonial and documentary evidence to support the request to bar the personalities from leaving the country.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/25/ombudsman-seeks-to-ban-marcoleta-defensor-others-from-traveling-abroad-1919">READ: Ombudsman seeks to ban Marcoleta, Defensor, others from traveling abroad</a></div><p>Maria Melinda Mananghaya-Henson, director of the Field Investigation Bureau-Luzon of the Office of the Ombudsman, told the court that Marcoleta posed a flight risk due to his influence as a senator and his financial capacity to leave the country to evade prosecution and investigation.</p><p>She added that Marcoleta&#x27;s alleged failure to disclose P75 million in campaign donations during the May 2025 elections showed a &quot;tendency to conceal illegality&quot; and shield himself from liability.</p><p>Mananghaya-Henson argued the other respondents were also considered flight risks since they allegedly acted as co-conspirators in the distribution of the cash donations and possessed the influence and financial capacity to travel abroad amid the ongoing investigation.</p><p>She said the complaint was received by the Office of the Ombudsman on Dec. 5, 2025, filed by election watchdog Danilo Arao, a convenor of Kontra Daya.</p><p>Mananghaya-Henson said a memorandum in her office directed that, regardless of the outcome of the Commission on Elections&#x27; (Comelec) investigation into Marcoleta, the Ombudsman should conduct its own investigation on the matter.</p><p>The poll body had earlier adopted the recommendations of its Political Finance and Affairs Department (PFAD) to halt its fact-finding investigation on the senator in an en banc resolution dated March 18.</p><p>It also previously cleared Marcoleta of election offenses but ordered the filing of complaints against his alleged campaign donors.</p><p>Marcoleta said Monday the &quot;trumped-up&quot; charges were <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/25/marcoleta-says-trumped-up-plunder-raps-meant-to-punish-dissent-1539">meant to &quot;punish dissent.&quot;</a></p><p>Mananghaya-Henson said that regardless of the Comelec&#x27;s findings, there is probable cause to pursue criminal charges against Marcoleta because he was a sitting congressman when he received the donations, which she described as &quot;excessive&quot; and &quot;disproportionate&quot; to his income as a public official.</p><p>She noted that as of June 2025, Marcoleta&#x27;s declared assets in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) amounted to P51 million. </p><p>She added that his SALN, which covers declarations of cash and deposits from 1992 to 2025, should have reflected the P75 million donation as required by law, even if it had been converted into other forms of assets.</p><p>The director also pointed out that it would take a sitting congressman around 20 years to earn P75 million based on salary alone.</p><p>Moreover, Mananghaya-Henson said that in Marcoleta&#x27;s verified position paper, he did not declare any relationship with the donors, whom she claimed were aware that he was a public official.</p><p>&quot;As public officials, someone with high influence as Marcoleta, any gift he receives may be tainted and [could affect] impartiality,&quot; Mananghaya-Henson told the court.</p><p>Leilani Tagulao-Marquez, officer-in-charge of the Preliminary Investigation, Administrative Adjudication, and Prosecution Bureau of the Office of the Ombudsman, also testified during the hearing.</p><p>When asked by the court if Marcoleta could still be considered a flight risk following his recent appointment as Senate Blue Ribbon Committee vice chairperson, Tagulao-Marquez said this does not negate the possibility that he may evade investigation and prosecution.</p><p>She said that the fact-finding investigation on the matter has already concluded and is now under preliminary investigation.</p><p>Tagulao-Marquez added that orders were served on May 21 directing the respondents to submit their counter-affidavits within 15 days.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yVNmp3B2Yz8?&amp;pp=0gcJCQMLAYcqIYzv&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong></div><div><em> </em></div>

<p>The Sandiganbayan Seventh Division has issued a precautionary travel ban against Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, former Quezon City Rep. Michael Defensor, and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray in connection to a plunder complaint.</p>

The Sandiganbayan Seventh Division has issued a precautionary travel ban against Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, former Quezon City Rep. Michael Defensor, and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray in connection to a plunder complaint.

Sandiganbayan issues precautionary travel ban vs Marcoleta, Defensor

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Nation

Sandiganbayan issues precautionary travel ban vs Marcoleta, Defensor

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 26, 2026 04:49 PM PHT

|

Updated May 26, 2026 05:23 PM PHT

Read More:

Marcoleta

Defensor

Sandiganbayan

plunder

hold departure

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.