Photo courtesy of Ping Lacson/Facebook.
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said Tuesday that statements made by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta about campaign contributions could constitute indirect bribery under the law.
Lacson raised the issue during a privilege speech, which led to another tense exchange between the two senators.
The veteran lawmaker referred to Marcoleta’s earlier public remarks about receiving financial support from individuals who supposedly asked that their identities not be revealed.
According to Lacson, Marcoleta had acknowledged accepting funds from supporters when he was still serving as a party list representative, and that the donations were given with the expectation of a sense of gratitude.
Lacson argued that such circumstances may fall under the definition of indirect bribery under Article 211 of the Revised Penal Code, which penalizes public officials who accept gifts or money by reason of their position even without a specific promise of action.
The issue surfaced after the Commission on Elections issued a show cause order directing Marcoleta to explain discrepancies between his statement of contributions and expenditures and his declared assets in his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth.
Comelec chair George Garcia earlier said Marcoleta claimed that the donations were given before the official campaign period for the 2025 elections began, citing a 2009 Supreme Court ruling that candidates become liable for election offenses only once the campaign period starts.
During the session, Marcoleta did not directly respond to the allegation but said Lacson’s privilege speech was an ad hominem attack that diverted attention from the issues being discussed.