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🇸🇬 Singapore /Elections & Politics

Graft charges filed against pro-Duterte senator ahead of impeachment trial

From The Straits Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified In the courts
  • Philippine Senator Rodante Marcoleta faces graft charges, including plunder, for allegedly failing to declare $1.2 million in unused election campaign funds.
  • The charges come days before Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial, and Marcoleta is a key ally of the Duterte political family.
  • Marcoleta is the second Duterte-aligned senator charged recently, with others facing legal issues related to corruption and human rights allegations.

Philippine Senator Rodante Marcoleta, a prominent ally of Vice President Sara Duterte, has been charged with graft, including plunder, for allegedly failing to declare $1.2 million in unused election campaign funds. The charges were announced by the country's ombudsman on July 3, just days before the vice president's impeachment trial is scheduled to begin in the Senate.

Plunder is a non-bailable offense in the Philippines. The ombudsman's office stated that the decision to file charges was not taken lightly and cited evidence including three cash donations totaling 75 million pesos (approximately $1.5 million) that were undeclared in Marcoleta's statement of assets and liabilities and campaign finance reports. The senator had publicly confirmed receiving the money, according to the statement.

The evidence includes three cash donations totalling 75 million peso (S$1.5 million), undeclared in the senator’s (statement of assets and liabilities) and campaign finance reports.

— Ombudsman's officeDetailing the evidence supporting the graft charges against Senator Rodante Marcoleta.

The charges against Marcoleta follow similar accusations leveled against another Duterte-aligned senator, Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada, who was previously jailed over alleged involvement in a corruption scandal. Additionally, Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa is reportedly in hiding after narrowly avoiding an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court related to his role in the former president Rodrigo Duterte's deadly "war on drugs."

Marcoleta, Estrada, and Dela Rosa were considered likely votes against convicting Vice President Duterte in her impeachment trial, which is set to commence on July 6. A guilty verdict requires 16 votes in the 24-seat Senate. The House of Representatives had previously voted to impeach Duterte on allegations of graft, corruption, bribery, and an assassination plot against President Ferdinand Marcos. If convicted in the Senate, Duterte would be removed from office and permanently barred from holding elected positions.

The decision to file charges was not made lightly or by choice.

— Ombudsman's officeExplaining the process behind the decision to charge Senator Rodante Marcoleta.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Straits Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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