Marcoleta pleads not guilty to plunder, 1 of 3 ‘gift’ raps

Sen. Rodante Marcoleta — File photo by Niño Jesus Orbeta/INQUIRER MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Rodante Marcoleta and his co-accused Joseph Espiritu on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to charges of plunder and violating a presidential decree that prohibits government officials from receiving, and private individuals from conferring, gifts. Arraignment marks the formal start of the criminal trial proceedings, requiring the accused to appear in court where the charges against them will be read before entering a guilty and not guilty plea. Marcoleta, who was detained in the New Quezon City jail in Barangay Payatas last week, faces plunder and three counts of Presidential Decree (PD) No. 46. Article continues after this advertisement Aside from the PD No. 46 charge, the Third Division is handling the plunder case of Marcoleta, his donor Espiritu and two other donors over a P75 million campaign donation the senator received while being a sitting party-list lawmaker, which, according to state prosecutors, was not declared in the senator’s financial and campaign disclosures. READ: Ombudsman files plunder case vs Marcoleta in Sandiganbayan Of that amount, P20 million allegedly came from Espiritu, while his co accused former Rep. Mike Defensor and businessman Aristotle Viray donated P30 million and P25 million, respectively. Marcoleta’s two other PD No. 46 cases were handled by the First and Fourth Divisions. Viray is named as Marcoleta’s co-accused under the First Division, while Defensor is the senator’s co-accused under the Fourth Division. /das Article continues after this advertisement Article continues after this advertisement Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful.