Jamaine Punzalan

Sen. Rodante Marcoleta exits the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City amid heavy security on July 15, 2026. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

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SEN RODANTE MARCOLETA- SANDIGANBAYAN

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/178840015517920260715-senator-rodante-marcoleta-sandiganbayan-JC4.jpg" style="width: 960px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align: left;">Sen. Rodante Marcoleta exits the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City amid heavy security on July 15, 2026. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News&nbsp;</span></span></span></div><div><br></div><p>MANILA &mdash; The Sandiganbayan Third Division on Thursday granted Sen. Rodante Marcoleta&rsquo;s request for a one-day medical furlough on Sept. 7 so he can receive specialized care for his reported medical conditions.</p><p>Marcoleta&rsquo;s lawyer, Atty. David Gabriel, told the court that the senator needed to undergo medical tests for his reported hypertension, dyslipidemia and prostate enlargement.&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;I believe there are no proper medical facilities in BJMP (Bureau of Jail Management and Penology) to test the medical condition of Marcoleta,&rdquo; Gabriel said.</p><p>Gabriel said the requested furlough would only last one day at a private hospital in Pasig City, and is just a follow-up from the previous tests conducted on the senator.&nbsp;</p><p>The court, chaired by Associate Justice Karl Miranda, granted Marcoleta&rsquo;s bid on the condition that he would return to the Quezon City Jail in Payatas within the day.&nbsp;</p><div><strong>MARCOLETA QUESTIONS VALIDITY OF INFORMATION</strong></div><p>During the hearing, Gabriel also sought the dismissal of the case on the argument that the information filed against Marcoleta was not valid.</p><p>He argued that the senator was being denied the opportunity to properly answer the charges against him because of what he described as &lsquo;defects&rsquo; in the criminal information sheet.</p><div><em><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1045010651664718%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></em><br></div><p>However, Associate Justice Ronald Moreno said the court already found the information sufficient, which led to its finding of probable cause against Marcoleta and the issuance of a warrant for his arrest.</p><p>&ldquo;Are you not aware that the court found probable cause and issued a warrant of arrest? If there is no valid information, how come the court found probable cause and issued a warrant of arrest?&rdquo; Moreno said.&nbsp;</p><div><strong>DEFENSE ARGUES FUNDS WERE CAMPAIGN DONATIONS</strong></div><p>The defense also argued that the alleged donations received by Marcoleta should fall under the jurisdiction of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) because they were supposedly campaign contributions.</p><p>The prosecution argued that Marcoleta himself had submitted documents to the Comelec during its fact-finding investigation, wherein he supposedly admitted that the donation had become part of his personal funds.</p><p>&ldquo;We have a verified position paper submitted to Comelec to address the show-cause&hellip; They have made a declaration that these were not campaign donations,&rdquo; the prosecution said.</p><p>However, Marcoleta&rsquo;s counsel said that how the money was used should be a factor in determining if it constituted a campaign donation.</p><p>&ldquo;The primary controlling factor would be the use of the same donation. In the course of the trial we will find that it was utilized for financing the campaign of the accused,&rdquo; Gabriel told the court.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/30/ombudsman-marcoleta-himself-gave-evidence-for-plunder-raps-1555">Ombudsman: Marcoleta himself gave evidence for plunder raps</a></div><div><strong>COMELEC OFFICIAL TESTIFIES</strong></div><p>The court then heard testimony from Victoria Besinio, an Attorney III of the Comelec Political Finance and Affairs Department (PFAD), who was one of the investigators who conducted a fact-finding investigation against Marcoleta.</p><p>Besinio testified that the commission&rsquo;s fact-finding investigation was prodded by statements Marcoleta made on a television program in which he justified his election expenses by citing donations he received from friends.</p><p>Besinio said the PFAD&rsquo;s finding was that if Marcoleta&rsquo;s statements in the television program were true, the funds should have been included in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).</p><p>However, she said Section 109 of the Omnibus Election Code, which made the failure to report such contributions an election offense, had been repealed by Republic Act 7166.</p><p>Because of the repeal, Besinio said the Comelec recommended terminating the fact-finding investigation against Marcoleta and instead conducting a preliminary investigation against the alleged donors.</p><p>Upon being questioned by the court, she said that the PFAD did not make a categorical determination on the nature of the funds.</p><p>&ldquo;The point of the recommendation to file complaint for the department so it may be further investigated because PFAD did not make categorical determination,&rdquo; Besinio said.</p><p>However, she said that according to Marcoleta&rsquo;s verified position paper, the senator considered the donation as part of his personal funds.&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;Those funds were received by him in his personal capacity so those became part of his personal funds,&rdquo; she said.</p><p>Moreno then questioned why the Comelec proceeded with a fact-finding investigation against Marcoleta even though Section 109 had been repealed.</p><p>Besinio said it was still the Comelec&rsquo;s duty to investigate supposed campaign donations.</p><p>Meanwhile, the court said Marcoleta&rsquo;s bid to withhold the issuance of preventive suspension order had been submitted for resolution. </p><p>After the hearing, Marcoleta posted a P30,000 bail for each of his charges before three anti-graft court divisions for alleged violations of Presidential Decree No. 46, which prohibits public officials from receiving gifts.</p><p>Marcoleta also faces a non-bailable plunder charge before the Third Division.</p><p>The prosecution is set to present documents and testimony from the Bureau of Internal Revenue in the next bail hearing on Sept. 10.&nbsp;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/10/sandiganbayan-consolidates-plunder-gift-receipt-cases-vs-marcoleta-1029">Sandiganbayan consolidates plunder, &#39;gift receipt&#39; cases vs Marcoleta&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;</div><div><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/7SA5qG8Eeos?&wmode=opaque&rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><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/xBg26I1nzmw?&wmode=opaque&rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br></div>

<p>The Sandiganbayan Third Division has granted Sen. Rodante Marcoleta’s bid for a one-day medical furlough to receive specialized care in a hospital for his reported hypertension, dyslipidemia, and prostate enlargement.</p>

The Sandiganbayan Third Division has granted Sen. Rodante Marcoleta’s bid for a one-day medical furlough to receive specialized care in a hospital for his reported hypertension, dyslipidemia, and prostate enlargement.

Marcoleta gets 1-day medical furlough

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Marcoleta gets 1-day medical furlough

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 03, 2026 09:50 AM PHT

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Updated September 03, 2026 12:30 PM PHT

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