Comelec denies being pressured on Marcoleta SOCE ruling

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March 14, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said he has “unvalidated” information the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is being pressured not to sign its draft resolution on issues hounding Sen. Rodante Marcoleta’s Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).

“Not from the government. Not from the national government,” Lacson told “Storycon” on One News on Thursday, saying the alleged pressure on the Comelec came from a group outside government.

But Comelec Chairman George Garcia said there is no pressure on the commissioners regarding its decision-making on Marcoleta’s SOCE.

“As far as we are concerned, nothing of that sort is felt or conveyed. We will not let our constitutional independence and sound judgment be hampered by perceived influences or pressures,” Garcia told The STAR.

Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco also told Storycon yesterday that the probe could shift to a preliminary investigation for a possible criminal indictment rather than mere fact-finding.

The Blue Ribbon panel chair said Marcoleta basically admitted to committing indirect bribery when the latter mentioned in a television interview that his campaign donors for last year’s May midterm elections did not want themselves named in his SOCE.

He repeated what he said in his privilege speech Tuesday that Marcoleta admitted against his own interest accepting donations out of utang na loob or debt of gratitude in exchange for not declaring his campaign donors in his SOCE.

While Marcoleta had said he could not be held liable for campaign finance violation because he was not yet a candidate when he accepted the funds, it was still tantamount to indirect bribery, which is a separate violation, Lacson said.

Marcoleta accepted the campaign funds when he was still a SAGIP party-list representative.

According to the Revised Penal Code, “any public officer who shall accept gifts offered to him by reason of his office” is liable for indirect bribery that is punishable with imprisonment (prision correccional), suspension from office and public censure.

Lacson said he received information Marcoleta tried to remedy this by saying in his counter-affidavit submitted to the Comelec that a campaign donor gave P30 million to him in January 2025, which was an obvious “afterthought” because the “bonus tax” for that donation was paid 11 months after or in December 2025, not 30 days after as required by law.

Marcoleta in his SOCE declared P112.86-million expense with zero contributions; meanwhile he has a P51.96-million net worth in his 2025 statement of assets, liabilities and net worth. — Christine Boton, Janvic Mateo