MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday said it is facing “complications” in addressing the case involving Senator Rodante Marcoleta’s May 2025 statement of contributions and expenditures (SOCE) after the Office of the Ombudsman referred a related complaint.

Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said the Political Finance and Affairs Department (PFAD) had already prepared a recommendation on Marcoleta’s case.

“Dapat maglalabas na kami, kaya lang biglang na-complicate kasi Ombudsman na mismo ang nag-refer sa amin ng mismong complaint na yun,” Garcia told reporters.
(The PFAD was supposed to issue the recommendation, but it became complicated after the Ombudsman referred the complaint to us.)

“Parehas ang kaso, parehas ang akusasyon, parehas ang alegasyon,” he added.
(The case, accusations, and allegations are all the same.)

Based on Marcoleta’s SOCE, he spent P139.9 million on his campaign for the 2025 senatorial elections—far above his declared statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) of P51,965,559. He declared zero donations.

Garcia said the matter has been referred to the Comelec Law Department, and the poll body is considering how to handle the overlap.

“Ang katanungan ngayon, paano maco-complicate ang recommendation ng PFAD versus sa [nai-file] na formal complaint sa Law Department…’Yun bang findings ng PFAD ay makaka-influence sa disposition ng Law Department? At the same time, ‘yung disposition ng Law Department dapat bang maging basehan ng PFAD?” Garcia said.
(The question now is how PFAD’s recommendation will be affected by the formal complaint filed with the Law Department. Should PFAD’s findings influence the Law Department’s disposition, or should PFAD base its findings on the Law Department’s decision?)

“Hindi pwedeng balewalain ang bawat isa sapagkat may karapatan sa due process ang personalidad na ito,” he added.
(We cannot overlook any part of this because the individual has the right to due process.)

Last month, Comelec said it had completed its investigation into Marcoleta’s case and that PFAD would issue a resolution. The development comes months after Comelec issued a show cause order (SCO) in November 2025, directing Marcoleta to explain why he did not fully disclose his campaign donors in his SOCE and noting discrepancies with his SALN.

Garcia also said the poll body is aware of Senator Panfilo Lacson’s privilege speech alleging that Marcoleta may be liable for indirect bribery for failing to disclose election donors in his SOCEs. The Comelec en banc has begun discussions on the issue.

“We have to come up immediately with a disposition sapagkat alam namin ang interes ng taumbayan dito sa issue,” Garcia said.
(Because we are aware that this is of public interest.)

Marcoleta previously admitted that he did not declare the contributions he received for the May 2025 elections in his SOCE, saying his donors requested anonymity.