MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has hit a procedural snag in the campaign contributions case involving Senator Rodante Marcoleta, citing “legal complications” that have delayed the release of its findings.
Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia explained on Wednesday that while the Political Finance and Affairs Department (PFAD) has already completed its probe and recommendation regarding Marcoleta’s 2025 Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE), a similar case referred by the Office of the Ombudsman has created a conflict. The Ombudsman’s referral—based on a perjury complaint filed by poll watchdog Kontra Daya and Advocates for Public Interest Law—is now sitting in the same law department that must review the PFAD’s findings.
The controversy stems from Marcoleta’s 2025 SOCE, in which he declared zero campaign contributions. However, the senator later admitted in a television interview that he did receive donations but chose not to list them to protect the anonymity of the donors—a direct violation of election laws requiring full disclosure.
Garcia noted that the overlap between the internal PFAD probe and the Ombudsman’s criminal referral has raised questions about whether the cases should be consolidated or treated separately. “The accusations are the same. The allegations are the same,” Garcia said. He added that combining them is complicated because the two offices involved—PFAD and the Law Department—traditionally serve distinct roles in recommendation and trial.
For now, the Comelec is determining the proper legal framework to move forward without compromising the integrity of either investigation.