The plunder case lodged against Sen. Rodante Marcoleta could turn into a “reverse trial” with prosecutors merely sitting back while the respondent argues against the evidence that he himself placed on record, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Saturday.
Lacson noted that Marcoleta effectively made an “admission against interest” on television by acknowledging that he received cash donations for his senatorial campaign while serving as a congressman, yet failed to disclose them in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).
“REVERSE TRIAL: The prosecutor may just sit and watch with folded arms while the respondent argues against himself and the damning evidence that he himself presented in plain view of all the witnesses who watched his ‘admission against interest’ on national TV,” Lacson said on X.
In Filipino: Lacson: Plunder Case ni Marcoleta, Maaaring Mauwi sa Isang ‘Reverse Trial’
REVERSE TRIAL: The prosecutor may just sit and watch with folded arms while the respondent argues against himself and the damning evidence that he himself presented in plain view of all the witnesses who watched his ‘admission against interest’ on national TV.
— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) July 3, 2026
In an interview on DZMM, Lacson also rejected claims that the charge against Marcoleta was a form of harassment by the administration, saying Marcoleta himself supplied the evidence.
“Ang panggigipit, pinagpilitan hanapan ng ebidensya para makasuhan. Ito nga sabi ni Ombudsman Remulla, hindi na kami kailangang maghanap. Siya na nagpresenta ng evidence… Anong magiging panggigipit kung yan ang inaakusa nila sa Ombudsman o gobyerno o kanino man? Di naghanap ng evidence ang Ombudsman eh. Nalaglag sa lap nila ang evidence. (At) meron silang responsibility o mandate, pag ganyan motu proprio. Nandiyan na lahat (Harassment is when one forcibly tries to find evidence against you. But as Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said, they did not need to find evidence because the evidence fell on their laps),” he said.
On Friday, the Office of the Ombudsman filed plunder charges against Marcoleta and three others over some P75 million in undeclared campaign contributions for his 2025 senatorial campaign.
It also charged Marcoleta with three counts of violating Presidential Decree 46, which bars public officers from accepting gifts while in office.
Also charged were ex-Rep. Michael Defensor, and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray.
Marcoleta declared a net worth of P51 million last year and reported spending P112 million for his election bid. He admitted on television that he received the funds in three tranches in January 2025 from donors, but did not disclose them because they wanted to remain anonymous.
He argued that since he received the funds a month before the official campaign period started, they became “personal funds” – but Lacson pointed out that Marcoleta still violated the law and showed a clear admission against interest because he was a public official at the time – a representative of SAGIP party list in the House.
“I guess Senator Marcoleta and his legal team thought they were being smart by being technical about when these contributions were made. Pero ang nakakatawa Mr. President ay, wala nang mas lilinaw sa sariling pag-amin ni Senator Marcoleta – tumanggap sya ng pera para magkaroon sya ng utang na loob sa mga taong iyon – isang maliwanag na Admission against Interest, ang sabi nga ng mga abogado (I guess Marcoleta and his legal team thought they were being smart by being technical about when these contributions were made. But the funny thing is that he admitted receiving contributions so he would have a debt of gratitude to the contributors. This is a clear admission against interest, as lawyers say),” Lacson had said in a privilege speech last March.
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Lacson: Plunder Case ni Marcoleta, Maaaring Mauwi sa Isang ‘Reverse Trial’
Maaaring mauwi sa isang “reverse trial” ang kasong plunder na isinampa laban kay Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, kung saan manonood na lamang ang mga piskal habang mismong si Marcoleta ang makikipagtalo laban sa ebidensiyang siya rin ang naglatag, ayon kay Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Sabado.
Ani Lacson, mistulang gumawa si Marcoleta ng isang “admission against interest” sa telebisyon nang aminin nitong tumanggap siya ng mga cash donation para sa kanyang kampanya sa pagkasenador habang nagsisilbi bilang kongresista, ngunit hindi niya ito idineklara sa kanyang Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).
“REVERSE TRIAL: The prosecutor may just sit and watch with folded arms while the respondent argues against himself and the damning evidence that he himself presented in plain view of all the witnesses who watched his ‘admission against interest’ on national TV,” ani Lacson sa X.
Sa panayam sa DZMM radio, tinanggihan din ni Lacson ang paratang na ang kaso laban kay Marcoleta ay isang uri ng panggigipit, dahil kay Marcoleta mismo nanggaling ang ebidensya.
“Ang panggigipit, pinagpilitan hanapan ng ebidensya para makasuhan. Ito nga sabi ni Ombudsman Remulla, hindi na kami kailangang maghanap. Siya na nagpresenta ng evidence… Anong magiging panggigipit kung yan ang inaakusa nila sa Ombudsman o gobyerno o kanino man? Di naghanap ng evidence ang Ombudsman eh. Nalaglag sa lap nila ang evidence. (At) meron silang responsibility o mandate, pag ganyan motu proprio. Nandiyan na lahat,” aniya.
Noong Biyernes, nagsampa ang Office of the Ombudsman ng kasong plunder laban kay Marcoleta at tatlo pang iba kaugnay ng tinatayang P75 milyong hindi idineklarang campaign contributions para sa kanyang kandidatura sa Senado noong 2025.
Sinampahan din si Marcoleta ng tatlong bilang ng paglabag sa Presidential Decree No. 46, na nagbabawal sa mga opisyal ng pamahalaan na tumanggap ng mga regalo habang nanunungkulan.
Kinasuhan din sina dating Kinatawan Michael Defensor at mga negosyanteng sina Joseph Espiritu at Aristotle Viray.
Nagdeklara si Marcoleta ng net worth na P51 milyon noong nakaraang taon at iniulat na gumastos ng P112 milyon para sa kanyang kandidatura sa Senado. Inamin niya sa telebisyon na natanggap niya ang naturang mga pondo sa tatlong magkakahiwalay na pagkakataon noong Enero 2025, ngunit hindi niya idineklara ang mga ito dahil nais umanong manatiling anonymous ang mga donor.
Iginiit ni Marcoleta na dahil natanggap niya ang mga pondo isang buwan bago magsimula ang opisyal na panahon ng kampanya, naging “personal funds” na ang mga ito. Ngunit sinabi ni Lacson na nilabag pa rin ni Marcoleta ang batas at malinaw na nagkaroon ng “admission against interest” dahil isa pa rin siyang opisyal ng pamahalaan noon bilang kinatawan ng SAGIP Party-list sa Kamara de Representantes.
“I guess Senator Marcoleta and his legal team thought they were being smart by being technical about when these contributions were made. Pero ang nakakatawa Mr. President ay, wala nang mas lilinaw sa sariling pag-amin ni Senator Marcoleta – tumanggap sya ng pera para magkaroon sya ng utang na loob sa mga taong iyon – isang maliwanag na Admission against Interest, ang sabi nga ng mga abogado,” ani Lacson sa kanyang privilege speech noong Marso.
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