The Philippine National Police on Monday denied receiving any order to arrest Sen. Rodante Marcoleta in connection with plunder and indirect bribery complaints filed against him. In a statement issued June 22, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the police had not received any warrant or directive for Marcoleta’s arrest and would only act on orders issued by a competent court.
The complaints are related to allegations that Marcoleta failed to disclose campaign donations in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE). Investigators found that the senator allegedly received a total of P75 million in donations from former congressman Mike Defensor, Joseph Varias Espiritu, and Aristotle Viray over a four-day period in January 2025.
The donations were allegedly not reflected in the required election disclosures, leading to the filing of complaints for plunder and indirect bribery. “The Philippine National Police remains a professional and apolitical organization, and all our actions are based on legal orders of competent courts, on the rule of law and on the maintenance of peace and order,” Nartatez said.
Marcoleta has denied the allegations against him and said he would not resist arrest if authorities move to serve a warrant.
“Kung saka-sakali pong ituloy nila ang pag-aresto sa akin, ako po ay sasama sa kanila peacefully. Ibig sabihin, I will not resist. Sapagkat tungkulin po yun ng arresting officer. Alam ko naman po yung tuntunin kung paano ka aarestuhin. Eh talagang ganyan,” Marcoleta said.
The senator also denied stealing public funds and linked the complaints against him to his calls for continued scrutiny of alleged irregularities in flood control projects.
“Wala po akong ninakaw. Ang tanging kasalanan ko lang po sa kanila, sa kanila, hindi sa taong bayan, ay yung pilitin ko po na ituloy ang pagdinig dyan sa flood control projects anomaly na yan,” he said.
