Senator Rodante Marcoleta said the impending filing of complaints against him before the Sandiganbayan is part of a coordinated effort to silence him, prevent further disclosures from the Senate's flood control investigation, and keep him from participating in the upcoming impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte.
In a statement released on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, amid reports that the Office of the Ombudsman is preparing to file charges over P75 million worth of campaign donations he allegedly received during the 2025 election period, Marcoleta denied any wrongdoing and framed the case as politically motivated.
Marcoleta denies wrongdoing, cites political motive
“Makikita po ninyo, wala na po tayong kakampi. Ang kasalanan ko lamang po ay yung paglingkuran kayo, kung kasalanan pong matatawag yan. Na humarap sa kanila ng buong tapang para sa ganon ay malaman ninyo ang totoo. Malaman ninyo kung sino ang nagkasala sapagkat gusto nating papanagutin lahat ang mga taong ito,” he said.
“Ngunit kapag ako'y kanilang inaresto, hindi na po matutuloy yan. Akala po nila ay maililibing ito sa limot. Ang isa pa pong inaasahan nila ay hindi na po ako makakasali doon sa impeachment proceedings na nakatakda pong magsimula sa susunod na linggo. Samakatuwid, dalawang ibon sa isang putok, mga kababayan,” he added.
Marcoleta argued that recent developments show what he described as a pattern of prosecuting individuals who seek to expose alleged corruption while failing to pursue those he believes are primarily responsible.
Senator points to pending complaint vs Romualdez
The senator pointed to a complaint he said has been pending since April 2026 against former House Speaker Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez, and questioned why, according to him, no comparable action has been taken in that case. He also referred to a former Department of Public Works and Highways official who, he alleged, had been turned into a state witness.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Monday, June 29, 2026, said the Office of the Ombudsman is working to have former Public Works and Highways secretary Manuel Bonoan serve as a state witness in its ongoing investigation on alleged anomalies involving government flood control projects.
Marcoleta sees timing as suspicious
Marcoleta maintained that his role in Senate inquiries into alleged irregularities in flood control projects made him a target. The senator has previously chaired the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee during its investigation on alleged anomalies in government flood control projects.
Marcoleta also questioned what he described as the timing of the Ombudsman's actions. He noted that Senator Panfilo Lacson had earlier remarked that additional senators could face imprisonment, saying this appeared to suggest prior knowledge of the developments.
“So talagang maliwanag na planado po ito, mga kababayan. Kasi dalawang linggo bago nagpahayag ang ating Ombudsman, sinabi na rin ni Ping Lacson na tila siyam pa na senador ang makukulong. Parang alam na niya ang mangyayari,” said Marcoleta.
“Gaya po nang nauna ko nang ipinahayag sa inyo, alam kong gagawin nila ito. Alam kong aarestuhin nila ako. Alam kong ikukulong nila ako. Ngunit hindi po dahilan yan para tumigil ako sa paglilingkod sa inyo,” he added.
INC rally in support of Marcoleta
Marcoleta's statement comes as members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo continue to hold a lightning rally at the People Power Monument along Edsa in Quezon City to express support for him.
