Ombudsman: Evidence against Marcoleta “came from the senator himself”

The Office of the Ombudsman said the evidence being used to build the plunder case against Senator Rodante Marcoleta largely came from the senator’s own admissions, dismissing his claim that the case is a form of political persecution.

“I think when you read the case and you listen to the admissions, and you listen to the interviews, you will see that the case is quite clear-cut. Kaya it’s hard to see kung saan po nanggagaling si Senator Marcoleta dito, dahil ‘yung kaso mismo at ‘yung ebidensya mismo na ginamit ng ating mga imbestigador ay nanggaling din po sa kanya,” Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said during a press briefing on Tuesday, June 30.

Clavano explained that the plunder case centers on a total of P75 million in supposed donations received by Marcoleta across three separate transactions, all admitted to by the senator and his donors.

Clavano said Marcoleta only disclosed the donations to the public through media interviews, but never declared them in either his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) or his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE), as required of public officials.

“Tatlo pong transaction ‘yun na nagbigay, at admitado naman po ‘yung mga donors na nagbigay naman din sila. And from the own admissions as well of Senator Marcoleta, tinanggap niya ‘yung 75 million ngunit hindi po niya nadeklara sa SALN, neither niya dineklara sa kanyang SOCE,” he said.

He added that claims of political persecution are a common defense raised by public officials facing cases from the Ombudsman, but said the evidence in Marcoleta’s case stands on its own.

“Marami kasi kaming fina-file na kaso laban sa mga public officials, at kadalasan ‘yan po talaga ang nagiging sagot nila na pinu-persecute sila, na it’s about politics, but the facts will speak for themselves,” he said.