Senator Rodante Marcoleta, on Monday, May 25, denounced what he described as a politically motivated complaint filed against him before the Office of the Ombudsman, adding that the case was intended to intimidate independent voices in the Senate.

In a privilege speech, Marcoleta said the complaint filed by the Field Investigation Bureau of the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon was “perfectly timed” and formed part of a broader effort to pressure lawmakers who refuse to conform to political interests.

“The trumped-up charges filed against me and some of my friends are not merely legal accusations. They form part of a deeper and more nefarious design: to intimidate independent voices, to punish dissent, and to warn every senator that the price of asking hard questions could lead to personal damnation,” Marcoleta said.

Marcoleta, along with former lawmaker Michael “Mike” Defensor, Joseph Varias Espiritu, and Aristotle Baluyut Viray, are facing plunder charges filed by the OMB. According to the complaint filed on May 18, investigators alleged that Marcoleta’s acceptance of gifts totaling P75 million on three separate occasions while he was still serving as a member of the House of Representatives constituted plunder.

To recall, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) cleared Marcoleta, who stated that he withheld details about campaign donations in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) because his contributors had asked to keep their identities confidential.

Marcoleta stated this in an interview on Net 25 when asked about his campaign spending. In his SOCE, which is available on Comelec's website, he declared zero contributions received and spent P112 million in the May 2025 midterm polls. Yet in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), he declared a net worth of P51.96 million.

In the interview, Marcoleta said that his friends asked him to accept their donation to his campaign in exchange for keeping their anonymity.

Meanwhile, the senator linked the complaint to ongoing Senate issues, including the continuation of inquiries into alleged anomalous flood control projects and the chamber’s expected role in possible impeachment proceedings.

“First, remove the inconvenient voices from the inquiry. Then weaken those who refuse to conform. Then frighten others into silence and submission before the decisive constitutional battles begin,” he said.

Marcoleta maintained that the allegations against him lacked proof of wrongdoing and insisted that suspicion alone could not establish corruption.

“What official act did I sell? What vote did I promise? What public fund did I touch? What government contract was delivered? What favor was asked, promised, or given?” he asked.

He also argued that the law does not criminalize acts of generosity or friendship unless tied to corruption or the sale of public duty.

“At least I stated the truth. At least I faced the issue. At least I did not hide behind silence,” he said, while questioning whether the same standards of transparency were being applied to others in politics.

Despite the complaint, Marcoleta vowed to continue participating independently in Senate investigations and any impeachment proceedings that may arise.

The senator likewise defended the Senate’s ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities in flood control projects, describing the issue as “among the greatest sins of our modern public life” if proven true.

Marcoleta also accused powerful groups of weaponizing legal processes to suppress dissent and weaken institutional independence.

Toward the end of his speech, Marcoleta referenced a previous remark allegedly made inside the Senate chamber about bending the law to satisfy public sentiment, recalling a response from then-Justice Secretary and now Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla.

“Sometimes you need to bend the law to be able to please the people,” Marcoleta quoted, before adding: “They can imprison me, they can arrest me, but I tell them, they still will not win.”