FACT CHECK: Supreme Court did not dismiss Marcoleta’s plunder case

Marcoleta's plunder case wasn't filed before the country's highest court, but with the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan Claim: The Supreme Court (SC) dismissed Senator Rodante Marcoleta’s plunder case and declared him not guilty. Rating: FALSE Why we fact-checked this: A YouTube channel named “Komentaryo PH” livestreamed a video on July 11. Its thumbnail prominently displays images of Marcoleta and several Supreme Court justices along with the text, “Dismissed sa Korte! Confirmed not guilty si Marcoleta.” (Dismissed in court! Marcoleta confirmed not guilty) Additional text at the bottom reads, “Plunder case, depektibo (defective)!” As of writing, the nearly 12-hour livestream has garnered over 103,000 views and 1,400 likes. The facts: The Supreme Court did not dismiss Marcoleta’s plunder case. In fact, the case is not even pending before the Supreme Court. The non-bailable plunder charges against Marcoleta were filed before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan, which has jurisdiction over the case. On July 3, the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division issued a warrant for Marcoleta’s arrest. It has yet to conduct a trial or issue a verdict on the case. No Supreme Court decision, resolution, or order dismissing the case or declaring Marcoleta “not guilty” appears in the Court’s records or in any official announcement. The claim that Marcoleta’s case had been dismissed appears only in the thumbnail and is not substantiated by the livestream’s title, description, or content. Rather than discussing any supposed court decision, the video’s description focuses on a separate development in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial: Senator Alan Peter Cayetano’s request to allow fellow senators Rodante Marcoleta and Jinggoy Estrada, both detained and facing separate criminal cases, to observe the proceedings as senator-judges. Marcoleta’s plunder case: Marcoleta surrendered to authorities on July 6 after the Sandiganbayan issued a warrant for his arrest on plunder charges filed by the Office of the Ombudsman. The charges stem from Marcoleta’s alleged failure to declare P75 million in campaign contributions during the 2025 elections. Former Anakalusugan Representative Mike Defensor and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Baluyut Viray were named as co-accused. (READ: How Marcoleta spent P112.9 million in his 2025 election campaign) Aside from plunder, Marcoleta is also charged with three counts of alleged violation of Presidential Decree No. 46 (receiving gifts). On July 8, the Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division issued arrest warrants and hold departure orders against Marcoleta and Defensor. The senator has pleaded not guilty on both charges. – Cyril Bocar/Rappler.com Efren Cyril Bocar is a journalist from Llorente, Eastern Samar who graduated with a degree in English Language Studies at the Visayas State University. Cyril is also a graduate of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2024. Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time. How does this make you feel? Loading