Pantabangan: The Department of Justice The Department of Justice (DOJ) has reiterated that the jurisdiction over the pacing of developments in the PHP75 million plunder case against Senator Rodante Marcoleta and his co-accused lies solely with the Sandiganbayan.
According to Philippines News Agency, DOJ Undersecretary Nicholas Ty clarified during a press briefing that the court where the complaint was filed, the Sandiganbayan, has the authority to determine the timeline for the proceedings. "Call na ng korte kung saan naka-file ang complaint. Walang panahon na masyadong mabilis o masyadong mabagal. Nasa korte na yan (It is up to the court where the complaint was filed to decide. There is no such thing as a timeframe that is too fast or too slow; that is entirely up to the court)," stated Ty.
Ty, along with fellow DOJ Undersecretary Norman Dato, further explained that the accused's voluntary surrender might be considered a mitigating circumstance in the event of a conviction. Marcoleta, along with former congressman and Cabinet official Mike Defensor, and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray, surrendered to authorities following the issuance of an arrest warrant for plunder charges by the anti-graft court.
The Office of the Ombudsman filed the plunder charges against Marcoleta and his co-accused last Friday before the Sandiganbayan. Ty emphasized that under the anti-plunder law, ill-gotten wealth could be acquired through various means, including "receiving directly or indirectly any commission, gift, share, percentage, kickback, or any form of pecuniary benefit from any person in connection with any government contract or project, or by reason of the office or position of the public officer."
In a related development, Marcoleta has admitted to receiving PHP75 million in election campaign donations during the 2025 mid-term polls from Defensor, Espiritu, and Viray. The lawmaker allegedly failed to declare these campaign funds in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures and Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth.
