MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan Seventh Division has enforced a Precautionary Hold Departure Order (PHDO) against Senator Rodante Marcoleta, former Anakalusugan party-list Representative Michael Defensor, and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray. The anti-graft court announced the travel ban on Tuesday following a request from the Office of the Ombudsman, after the Field Investigation Bureau recommended plunder and indirect bribery charges against the respondents.
Kontra Daya convenor Danilo Arao filed the complaints with the Office of the Ombudsman on December 5, 2025, claiming Defensor, Espiritu, and Viray donated a total of P75 million to Marcoleta's campaign as a senatorial candidate. The lawmaker allegedly did not disclose the amount in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) or his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
During the court's ex parte hearing on the matter, Maria Melinda Mananghaya-Henson, director of the Field Investigation Bureau-Luzon, and Leilani Tagulao-Marquez, officer-in-charge of the Preliminary Investigation, Administrative Adjudication, and Prosecution Bureau of the Office of the Ombudsman, testified to justify the issuance of the PHDO. Both officials asserted that the four individuals pose a flight risk due to their financial capabilities, political and corporate influence, and collective potential to evade prosecution.
Mananghaya-Henson stated that Marcoleta has the financial means of a sitting senator and a “tendency to conceal illegality.” She explained that the alleged P75 million campaign donation should have been declared in his SALN as required by law. The director also labeled the senator's co-respondents as co-conspirators, claiming they assisted in the money's distribution in January 2025.
Additionally, Mananghaya-Henson emphasized that the anti-graft office will continue its independent investigation regardless of Comelec's eventual findings.
According to Tagulao-Marquez, the case has officially progressed to a preliminary investigation following the completion of fact-finding procedures. She noted that orders for the submission of counter-affidavits were served to the respondents on May 21, giving them a standard 15 days to respond.
Despite the recent appointment of Marcoleta as vice-chairperson of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Tagulao-Marquez maintained that the senator remains a flight risk, justifying the Sandiganbayan's travel ban directive.
During the Senate's plenary session on Monday, Marcoleta delivered a privilege speech to address the bureau's recommendation of charges, vehemently denying the claims against him and his co-respondents, whom he referred to as “friends.”
“Let me state the legal defenses plainly on the allegations against me: the law did not define the limits of liberality among friends. They did not say that friendship must stop at a number chosen by one’s accusers. They did not say that generosity becomes criminal merely because the amount is substantial,” the senator argued.
“The trumped-up charges filed against me and some of my friends are not merely legal accusations. They form part of a deeper and more nefarious design: to intimidate independent voices, to punish dissent, and to warn every senator that the price of asking hard questions could lead to personal damnation,” he added, claiming an ulterior motive aimed at silencing him.
The PHDO prevents Marcoleta, Defensor, Espiritu, and Viray from leaving the country while the directive remains effective. Although formal charges have not yet been filed by the Ombudsman, the ongoing preliminary investigation and the issued travel restrictions signal significant developments in the case.
Written by Ashraf Indanan
Ashraf Indanan is a dedicated campus journalist and contributor. Their insightful writing sparks meaningful conversations and keeps the community informed.
