By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Monday confirmed that Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, together with former Rep. Mike Defensor, and another accused have been arrested on plunder charges filed by the Office of the Ombudsman following the issuance of an arrest warrant for plunder charges.
Remulla said Marcoleta surrendered to the police and was subsequently placed under arrest.
“Was he arrested or did he surrender? It was both,” Remulla told reporters in a press briefing held at Camp Crame.
He said Marcoleta went to the Sandiganbayan to file a motion to quash at around 8:30 a.m.
“When his motion to quash was denied, Sandiganbayan was locked down and he was not allowed to go out,” said Remulla. “Subsequently, when it (motion) was denied, we closed down the building and the arresting team arrived. So it was both.”
Remulla said PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. and PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director Maj. Gen. Robert Morico II arrived at the Sandiganbayan at 9:30 a.m. to escort him to Camp Crame.
The case stemmed from Marcoleta’s own admission in his television program that he received PHP75 million from three campaign donors for his senatorial bid during the 2025 midterm elections.
A case was filed against him before the Commission on Elections as he did not declare the amount in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures, but he was spared over his argument that it could not be considered as an election offense since the money was given in January 2025, or a month before the election period started.
Remulla said Marcoleta was subjected to a booking process, including the taking of mug shots and a medical examination.
He said the examination may take some time, noting that the 72-year-old Marcoleta has to undergo an electrocardiogram test.
“We do not know when it (medical examination) will be completed but hopefully, within the next two days, the examination will be completed. Do not rush us. Give us time to determine the full picture of his health,” said Remulla.
In the same press briefing held at CIDG, Remulla also announced that Defensor and businessman Joseph Espiritu, who are co-accused of Marcoleta in the plunder case, were arrested in a coffee shop in Quezon City, a few hours after the arrest warrants against them were issued by the Sandiganbayan.
Another co-accused, Aristotle Viray, is now the subject of a manhunt operation by several police tracker teams.
The three were the ones who donated the PHP75 million to Marcoleta.
Remulla said both Defensor and Espiritu were brought by the police to the Sandiganbayan for the return of the arrest warrant and later taken to Camp Crame for their booking procedures.
“After the processing, they will be brought to Quezon City Jail in Payatas for their detention,” he noted.
“It’s actually better to surrender, to surrender to the nearest police station or even here at Camp Crame,” Nartatez said in a press briefing referring to Viray.
“Our teams are already on the way to implement the known addresses of those personalities, they have addresses here in Metro Manila as well as in the provinces. May mga teams naman tayo doon (We have teams there),” he added.
Marcoleta said he decided to present himself before the anti-graft court to face the charges against him.
“When I came here today, I already anticipated the process that may be conducted by the court. As I told you before, I will not go into hiding. I will face the law and the charges against me and according to my understanding of our legal system,” Marcoleta told the media.
“The Sandiganbayan has allowed us to pursue that motion, but it must go through the proper process. However, the court had already determined that probable cause existed, which is why it issued the warrant of arrest,” he added.
Marcoleta said the order must be respected even as his lawyers contest the case.
“Igalang natin yun. Kaya meron naman kaming motion to quash, pinagbigyan naman yun (Let us respect that. That is why we have a motion to quash, and it was given due course),” he said.
The senator said his camp has a different view of the case filed against him and is using the motion to quash to challenge the allegations through the proper forum.
“Syempre kami naman, meron kaming ibang pananaw doon sa asuntong ifinile sa amin. So ang aking mga abogado ay gumawa rin ng paraan para sa ganun ay i-counter naman yung asunto (Of course, we have a different view of the case filed against us. So my lawyers also took steps to counter the case),” Marcoleta said.
At 3:58 p.m. Monday, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) spokesperson Supt. Jayrex Joseph Bustinera confirmed that Defensor and Espiritu have been committed to the custody of the Quezon City Jail–Male Dormitory, pursuant to an order issued by the Sandiganbayan Third Division for their non-bailable plunder case.
“Both PDL (persons deprived of liberty) have been processed and integrated into the general PDL population. The BJMP assures that no special treatment will be given to any PDL under the Bureau’s custody,” Bustinera said in a message sent to reporters. (With reports from Wilnard Bacelonia and Benjamin Pulta/PNA)
