Malacañang has expressed confidence that the leadership of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) would respect the court's decision ordering the arrest of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, saying compliance with the rule of law should prevail regardless of political or religious affiliations.

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said this after Marcoleta was arrested by authorities on Monday, July 6, after his motion for reconsideration of the arrest warrant in the plunder case filed against him by the Office of the Ombudsman was denied by the Sandiganbayan 3rd Division.

In a press briefing on Monday, Castro said the government does not expect any adverse reaction from INC, which had earlier staged protests over the case involving the senator.

"Tayo po, unang-una, ayaw po nating sumagot ng hypothetical question dahil alam po natin, ang liderato ng INC ay gumagalang po— kung ano ang sinasabi rin po ng korte, kung ano po ang sinasabi ng batas (First of all, we do not want to answer hypothetical questions because we know that the leadership of the INC respects what the courts say and what the law provides),” she said when asked how prepared the government was for possible protests following Marcoleta's arrest.

“So, mananatili po tayo sa paniniwala na ang nangyayari po at ang pagpapatupad lamang ng batas ay igagalang din pong liderato ng INC (So we will continue to believe that the implementation of the law and the current legal process will likewise be respected by the INC leadership),” she added.

Castro said President Marcos respects the court's decision and recognizes the independence of the judiciary.

"Kung iyan po ang isinasaad at sinasabi ng batas at iyan naman po ang kautusan ng korte, iyan naman po ay irerespeto ng Pangulo (If that is what the law provides and that is the order of the court, then the President will respect it),” she said.

She added that the Executive branch has no discretion when it comes to implementing lawful court orders.

"Kung inisyu po ito ng korte, ito'y valid warrant of arrest; wala pong magagawa ang Ehekutibo kundi ito ay i-enforce (If this was issued by the court and it is a valid warrant of arrest, the Executive has no choice but to enforce it),” the Palace Press Officer said.

Castro also maintained that the timing of the arrest — which came as the Senate began impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte — was a matter for the courts and the Senate to address.

“Nasa kamay na po iyan ng Senado (That is already in the hands of the Senate),” she said.

Castro also responded to remarks made by former Quezon City congressman Mike Defensor, who criticized Marcoleta's arrest and claimed some personalities were being imprisoned ahead of those allegedly responsible for corruption.

"Iyon nga po, sana po ay minadali din nila ang pagbibigay ng mga ebidensiya — kongkretong ebidensiya, hindi lang puro pa-media (That is exactly the point. We wish they had also hurried in presenting evidence — concrete evidence, not just media statements),” she said.

"Mas magkakaroon po ng resolusyon at ng solusyon kung sila ay nagsumite kaagad ng mga kongkretong ebidensiya para kung sino iyong mga tao na nais nilang papanagutin ay napanagot na po sana (There would have been faster resolution and solutions if they had immediately submitted concrete evidence so that those they wanted held accountable could have already been charged),” she added.

Castro likewise noted that the courts will not act on Defensor’s claims unless they can present concrete evidence.

When asked about Defensor's claim that the case against Marcoleta lacked basis, Castro replied: "Sa korte na lamang po nila ito gawin at depensahan (They should raise and defend those arguments before the court).”

Marcoleta, a first-term senator and longtime ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte, is the first elected senator affiliated with the Iglesia ni Cristo. He previously served as the representative of the SAGIP Party-list and emerged as one of the most vocal allies of Vice President Sara Duterte and the Duterte political bloc in the Senate.

Marcoleta surrendered to authorities after the issuance of an arrest warrant in connection with nonbailable plunder charges stemming from alleged undisclosed donations he received during the 2025 elections. He is currently in government custody pending further proceedings before the court.

The case involves around P75 million in alleged gifts or donations from Defensor, businessman Aristotle Viray, and businessman Joseph Espiritu, which investigators said were not properly reflected in the senator's election documents.

Marcoleta has denied wrongdoing and described the charges as fabricated and politically motivated, claiming they were intended to prevent him from exposing alleged anomalies in flood control projects and participating in politically sensitive proceedings in the Senate.

The senator had earlier said he would not resist arrest and would peacefully submit to authorities if a warrant were issued against him.