Senator Rodante Marcoleta on Monday refused to enter a plea during his arraignment before the Sandiganbayan First Division in one of the criminal cases accusing him of violating Presidential Decree No. 46, prompting the anti-graft court to enter a plea of not guilty on his behalf.
Marcoleta’s counsel, Moises Tolentino Jr., told the court that he declined to enter a plea because of pending petitions before the Supreme Court.
Reading the court’s order in open session, First Division Chairperson Associate Justice Maria Theresa V. Mendoza-Arcega said Marcoleta refused to plead due to the pending petitions.
Under the Rules of Court, when an accused refuses to plead, the court is required to enter a plea of not guilty. The Sandiganbayan recorded a not guilty plea on Marcoleta’s behalf.
Marcoleta’s co-accused, Aristotle Viray, separately pleaded not guilty to violating Presidential Decree No. 46, which prohibits public officials from receiving gifts and private individuals from giving them.
The senator is facing three counts of alleged violation of Presidential Decree No. 46 in connection with campaign donations received during his 2025 senatorial bid.
The two other cases are pending before the Sandiganbayan Third and Fourth Divisions.
Businessman Joseph Espiritu is Marcoleta’s co-accused in the Third Division case, while former congressman Mike Defensor is his co-accused before the Fourth Division.
Both Espiritu and Defensor pleaded not guilty during their respective arraignments.
Marcoleta likewise entered pleas of not guilty in the cases pending before the Third and Fourth Divisions.
In addition to the PD No. 46 cases, Marcoleta, Defensor, Espiritu, and Viray are also facing a non-bailable plunder charge before the Sandiganbayan Third Division over an alleged P75 million campaign donation received while Marcoleta was serving as a party-list representative..
State prosecutors alleged that the campaign contributions were not declared in Marcoleta’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) and campaign finance disclosures.
The alleged donations consisted of P30 million from Defensor, P25 million from Espiritu, and P20 million from Viray.