Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Adrian Ayalin

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/1783325601090HMBWHVoa0AAmxt3 (6).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Senator Rodante Marcoleta during the 4th State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on July 28, 2025. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/</em><em>FILE</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Department of Justice said the supposed voluntary surrender of Senator Rodante Marcoleta may not be used as a mitigating circumstance in case he files a petition for bail before the Sandiganbayan.  </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/6/prosecution-distances-duterte-impeachment-from-marcoleta-s-arrest-1352">Prosecution distances Duterte impeachment from Marcoleta’s arrest</a></div><p>DOJ Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said it is up to the court to determine if Marcoleta voluntarily surrendered, amid conflicting statements from the camp of the lawmaker and Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla.</p><p>Ty however said that if Marcoleta voluntarily surrendered, he may use it to his favor if the court found him guilty.</p><p>“Eventually, if the accused will be convicted, the mitigating circumstances of voluntary surrender will be considered for purposes of assessing the penalty that may be imposed on him,” Ty said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/6/marcoleta-arrest-plunder-1023">Marcoleta arrested for non-bailable plunder case</a></div><p>Ty however stressed that voluntary surrender of an accused will not matter when it comes to bail petitions.</p><p>“It won’t, it won’t matter for purposes of bail, because for bail ang tinitingnan natin is the imposable penalty for the offense, iyong mitigating circumstance papasok na lang iyan sa panahon ng pagsentensya.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>PRIVATE FUNDS COVERED BY PLUNDER?<br/></strong></div><div> </div><p>The DOJ also echoed the Office of the Ombudsman that plunder may also involve private funds.</p><p>“From a plain reading of the law hindi kailangan na public funds ang subject funds for the prosecution ng plunder,” Ty said.</p><p>DOJ Undersecretary Ian Norman Dato meantime emphasized that the court’s determination of probable cause is not proof of guilt.</p><p>He also noted that Marcoleta, like any accused, will be given the chance to defend himself.</p><p>“Every person charged regardless of position is entitled to be heard, to counsel, to confront the evidence and to be presumed innocent until the court says otherwise,” Dato said. </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="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6hw-peedELU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>The Department of Justice said the supposed voluntary surrender of Senator Rodante Marcoleta may not be used as a mitigating circumstance in case he files a petition for bail before the Sandiganbayan.</p>

The Department of Justice said the supposed voluntary surrender of Senator Rodante Marcoleta may not be used as a mitigating circumstance in case he files a petition for bail before the Sandiganbayan.

Marcoleta’s surrender won’t matter if he asks for bail—DOJ

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Marcoleta’s surrender won’t matter if he asks for bail—DOJ

Adrian Ayalin,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 06, 2026 04:18 PM PHT

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Marcoleta

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plunder

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