Lily Reyes 
SA hiling ng Office of the Ombudsman, nagpasya ang Sandiganbayan Seventh Division maglabas ng precautionary hold departure order laban kina Senador Rodante Marcoleta, dating Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor, at dalawang iba pa.
Bukod kay Marcoleta at Defensor, damay din sa hold-departure order ang mga negosyanteng sina Joseph Varias Espiritu at Aristotle Baluyut Viray sa gitna ng isinasawang preliminary investigation ng Office of the Ombudsman.
Kabilang sa mga sinisilip na ang reklamo laban sa mga senador at negosyante ang plunder, indirect bribery, at paglabag sa presidential decree na nagbabawal sa mga government officials tumanggap ng regalo.
Partikular na iniimbestigahan ng Ombudsman ang P75 milyong 2025 campaign donations na hindi idineklara ni Marcoleta sa isinumiteng Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) at maging sa Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).
“By accepting money from private individuals amounting to P75 million, he fell short of upholding the standard of responsibility and integrity,” giit ng Ombudsman.
“Respondent Marcoleta unjustly enriched himself at the expense and prejudice of the Filipino people and the Republic of the Philippines when he accepted such an excessive sum of money from respondents Defensor, Viray, and Espiritu,” dagdag ng mga prosecutor.
Nanindigan naman si Marcoleta na “If the intention of these cases is to silence me, let me say this at the beginning: It has failed. I will not be silenced.”
