The Commission on Elections has closed its investigation into Senator Rodante Marcoleta over his campaign contribution disclosures, finding insufficient evidence to pursue an election offense case against him.
The poll body’s en banc, meeting Wednesday, adopted the recommendation of its Political Finance and Affairs Department to end the probe. “The Commission, after due deliberation, RESOLVED, as it hereby RESOLVES to NOTE the findings of Political Finance and Affairs Department relative to the Fact-Finding Investigation Case No. 2025-032,” the seven-page ruling stated, citing “no other evidence to show that Respondent committed any election offense.”
While Marcoleta walks away without a case to answer, three individuals who donated to his campaign are not as fortunate. The Comelec en banc separately approved a PFAD recommendation to bring election complaints before its law department for preliminary investigation against donors Michael Tan Defensor, Joseph Varias Espiritu, and Aristotle Baluyut Viray.
The basis for the complaint against the three is their failure to file individual Reports of Contributions within the 30-day post-election deadline required under election finance rules.
