Election watchdog Kontra Daya and the Advocates of Public Interest Law (APIL) have filed a joint complaint against Senator Rodante Marcoleta with the Office of the Ombudsman and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). The action stems from what the groups describe as the Senator’s “willful and deliberate falsehood” regarding his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) filed after the May 2025 elections.
The crux of the complaint revolves around an alleged discrepancy between Marcoleta’s official submission and his own public statements. The groups highlighted a specific interview where Senator Marcoleta openly admitted to receiving a campaign contribution. However, he purportedly excluded this donation from his SOCE, citing a request for anonymity from the donor.
This exclusion forms the basis for the dual complaints. The filing with the COMELEC specifically zeroes in on the Senator’s alleged violation of election rules pertinent to the proper and complete filling out of the SOCE. Election regulations strictly mandate the full disclosure of all campaign contributions, regardless of a donor’s preference for anonymity, to ensure transparency and accountability in political financing.
Meanwhile, the complaint lodged with the Office of the Ombudsman centers on the more severe charge of perjury. By submitting a sworn SOCE that allegedly omits a reported campaign contribution, the Senator may be found liable for making a false statement under oath. The groups argue that this act constitutes a deliberate attempt to conceal the true source and amount of his campaign funds, which undermines the integrity of the election process.
Kontra Daya and APIL maintain that the integrity of democratic elections is contingent upon the honest and complete disclosure of campaign finances. They stress that the public has a right to know who finances political campaigns to prevent undue influence and ensure a level playing field. The groups are pushing the Ombudsman and COMELEC to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter to hold the Senator accountable and reinforce the strict enforcement of election laws regarding financial transparency.