Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Former Congressman Mike Defensor is escorted out of the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City on July 15, 2026. Defensor pleaded not guilty to the plunder and gift prohibition charges stemming from an alleged million-peso campaign donation that he, along with businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray, channeled to Senator Rodante Marcoleta prior to the 2025 midterm elections.  Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

PH PLUNDER CASE- DEFENSOR

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/178537881702520260715-sandiganbayan-mike-defensor-JC1546.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former Congressman Mike Defensor is escorted out of the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City on July 15, 2026. Defensor pleaded not guilty to the plunder and gift prohibition charges stemming from an alleged million-peso campaign donation that he, along with businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray, channeled to Senator Rodante Marcoleta prior to the 2025 midterm elections. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Former lawmaker Mike Defensor and businessman Joseph Espiritu asked the Sandiganbayan to grant them bail in connection with the P75-million plunder case involving Sen. Rodante Marcoleta over the alleged nondisclosure of campaign donations.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/marcoleta-plunder-case-mike-defensor-plead-not-guilty-plunder-0945">Mike Defensor pleads not guilty to plunder case</a></div><p>The petition, filed July 28 before the anti-graft court&#x27;s Third Division, comes after Marcoleta and businessman Aristotle Viray filed their petitions for bail.</p><p>Defensor and Espiritu’s camp argued that the arrest warrants were issued merely on the basis of &quot;probable cause,&quot; which they said falls well short of the constitutional standard required to deny bail.</p><p>&quot;The standard of strong evidence of guilt, which is sufficient to deny bail to an accused in a criminal case, is markedly higher than the standard of probable cause sufficient to initiate criminal cases against defendants,&quot; the petition stated.</p><p>It also claimed that state prosecutors have failed to establish critical elements of the alleged crime.</p><p>&quot;There is no strong evidence that accused Defensor gave a donation of P30 Million to accused Marcoleta &#x27;by reason of&#x27; his office or position… there is no strong evidence that accused Espiritu gave a donation of P25 Million to accused Marcoleta &#x27;by reason of&#x27; his office or position,&quot; read the petition.</p><p>It further argued that there is no strong evidence that Marcoleta, Defensor, Espiritu, and Viray conspired with one another for the senator to amass P75 million in ill-gotten wealth.</p><p>The court, chaired by Associate Justice Karl Miranda, has yet to schedule bail hearings for the accused, who are currently detained t the Quezon City Jail in Payatas.</p><div><strong><br/></strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7D3_NWwpI2k?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1K5w3i5vmxc?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Former lawmaker Mike Defensor and businessman Joseph Espiritu asked the Sandiganbayan to grant them bail in connection with the P75-million plunder case involving Sen. Rodante Marcoleta over the alleged nondisclosure of P75 million in campaign donations.</p>

Former lawmaker Mike Defensor and businessman Joseph Espiritu asked the Sandiganbayan to grant them bail in connection with the P75-million plunder case involving Sen. Rodante Marcoleta over the alleged nondisclosure of P75 million in campaign donations.

Defensor, Espiritu ask Sandiganbayan to grant them bail in P75M plunder case

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Defensor, Espiritu ask Sandiganbayan to grant them bail in P75M plunder case

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 30, 2026 10:37 AM PHT

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Updated July 30, 2026 11:14 AM PHT

Read More:

Sandiganbayan

Defensor

Espiritu

Marcoleta

campaign donations

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