Senator Rodante Marcoleta (PNA photo by Yancy Lim)
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it is prepared to coordinate with the Office of the Ombudsman should assistance be needed in connection with the reported plunder and bribery complaints recommended against Senator Rodante Marcoleta.
Comelec Chairperson George Garcia on Saturday said the poll body remains open to working with the Ombudsman if formally requested.
“Comelec is ready to help and coordinate with the Ombudsman,” Garcia said in a brief statement.
Garcia, however, clarified that the election agency has yet to consider reviving its earlier investigation involving Marcoleta, noting that no Motion for Reconsideration has been filed before the commission.
He also pointed out that Comelec’s motu proprio investigation into the senator had already been terminated.
The development comes after reports emerged that the Ombudsman recommended the filing of plunder and bribery charges against Marcoleta over allegations involving PHP75 million in campaign donations tied to the May 2025 elections.
Earlier this year, Comelec ended its separate probe into alleged discrepancies in Marcoleta’s Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) submitted following last year’s polls.
In a resolution issued by the Commission en banc, election officials said they found no basis to pursue election offense charges against the senator, prompting the closure of the investigation.
Despite dismissing the case against Marcoleta, the poll body directed its Law Department to continue examining three campaign contributors who allegedly failed to submit mandatory Reports of Contributions within the required period after the elections.
Garcia stressed that, as of now, the commission’s position remains unchanged, while leaving the door open for possible coordination should the Ombudsman formally seek the poll body’s participation.