THE Office of the Ombudsman is now considering a perjury complaint filed against Senator Rodante Marcoleta, which claims he submitted false declarations in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) related to his 2025 Senate campaign.
The complaint was filed on Friday, December 5, by election watchdog group Kontra Daya, led by Danilo Arao, and Advocates of Public Interest Law, represented by Alexander Lacson and Dino de Leon. The complainants allege that Marcoleta publicly admitted to receiving campaign contributions but deliberately declared zero contributions in his sworn SOCE, violating Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code, which penalizes perjury.
The complaint cites a television interview on November 7 where Marcoleta stated that disclosing the names of his donors would force him to declare zero contributions. The complainants argue that this admission demonstrates a conscious decision to evade the legal requirement to disclose donors, despite knowing his obligations under the law. They further contend that Marcoleta’s explanation that his donors asked him to treat their contributions as “utang na loob” confirms that the concealment was deliberate.
The complainants also cite Section 10 of the Omnibus Election Code, which requires candidates and political party treasurers to file a full, true, and itemized statement of all contributions and expenditures. They argue that Marcoleta, as a lawyer and long-time public official, was fully aware of the materiality of these disclosures and the legal consequences of submitting a false sworn statement.
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