Manila: Former Quezon City Representative Mike Defensor, alongside businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray, pleaded not guilty to plunder charges in a case involving Senator Rodante Marcoleta. The trio entered their pleas before the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court's Third Division during their arraignment session.

According to Philippines News Agency, the plunder charges against Defensor and his co-accused stem from campaign contributions allegedly received by Senator Marcoleta, which were not declared in his financial disclosures. The Office of the Ombudsman filed charges after the senator admitted to receiving PHP30 million from Defensor, PHP25 million from Espiritu, and PHP20 million from Viray. The contributions reportedly occurred in January 2025, ahead of the elections.

Apart from the plunder charges, Defensor faces additional accusations of human trafficking related to the operation of a brothel, where some sex workers are reportedly minors, as per a separate investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

During the proceedings, the court set the pretrial for the plunder case on August 10, aiming to streamline court processes by allowing parties to agree on facts and limit evidence. A separate arraignment for charges related to violating Presidential Decree 46, which prohibits giving gifts to government employees, is scheduled for July 22.

Senator Marcoleta's own arraignment has been postponed due to his motion to quash the information in the case. The Sandiganbayan Third Division ordered Marcoleta's transfer to Quezon City Jail, as the non-bailable plunder charges remain pending. He was previously admitted to the Philippine National Police General Hospital for hypertension but has been deemed fit for court proceedings by Dr. Gerardo Legaspi of the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital.

Marcoleta, who denies any wrongdoing, is recommended for a week-long isolation at Quezon City Jail to fully recover from pneumonia. The Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology have complied with the court's commitment order, transferring Marcoleta to the jail facility.