MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday maintained that its decisions are not affected by actions of other government offices amid the plunder case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman against Sen. Rodante Marcoleta over his undeclared campaign donations.
“We will not be affected by other cases from other offices,” Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia said in Filipino during an ambush interview. “That means, if in other offices there are investigations being conducted, or cases being faced, we are not affected by that.”
“What’s for Comelec is for Comelec. What’s for Ombudsman is for Ombudsman,” he added.
READ: P75-M plunder case filed vs Marcoleta, 3 ‘friends’
In its earlier motu proprio investigation, the political finance and affairs department (PFAD) of the poll body found that Marcoleta did not commit any election offense by not declaring P75 million worth of campaign contributions in his statement of contributions and expenditures.
PFAD noted that parts of the election code were repealed by Republic Act No. 7166, which meant that not disclosing the amount of contributions and the names of donors could no longer be considered as an election offense.
On the other hand, the poll body recommended the filing of complaints against Marcoleta’s three donors, former Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor, businessmen Aristotle Viray and Joseph Espiritu, for failing to submit their respective report of contributions within 30 days after the elections.
READ: Marcoleta still at PNP hospital days after yielding
Apart from the motu proprio investigation, the Ombudsman also previously referred to the poll body’s law department a perjury complaint filed by election watchdog Kontra Daya and Advocates of Public Interest Law against Marcoleta over his undeclared contributions.
However, the law department has yet to make a decision on the case.
On July 3, the Ombudsman filed a plunder case against Marcoleta and his three donors before the Sandiganbayan over the undeclared contributions, this time because the amount was not reflected in the lawmaker’s statement of assets, liabilities and net worth as of June 30, 2025.
The Sandiganbayan’s Third Division later ordered the arrest of Marcoleta, who remains confined at the Philippine National Police general hospital since July 6 after experiencing chest pains and high blood pressure. With a report from Marc Andre Esguerra, intern /jpv
The post Comelec ‘unaffected’ by Ombudsman amid case vs Marcoleta appeared first on Inquirer.net.
