On Wednesday, July 15, former Anakalusugan Party-list Representative Mike Defensor and business executives Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray entered not guilty pleas during their arraignment before the Sandiganbayan in connection with a plunder case that also involves Senator Rodante Marcoleta.
The anti-graft court proceeded with the arraignment under Criminal Case No. E-SB-CRM-26-0018 after noting that Defensor and Espiritu withdrew their petitions to dismiss the charges, whereas Viray chose not to contest the legality or adequacy of the case.
According to Associate Justice Karl Miranda, who chairs the Sandiganbayan Third Division, there were no remaining legal hurdles delaying the formal reading of the charges.
Miranda stated:
“Considering that there is no more issue raised by accused Defensor, Espiritu, and Viray as to the validity or sufficiency of the information in the said criminal case, their arraignment for the said case proceeded,”
Following this declaration, Defensor, Espiritu, and Viray each formally registered a plea of not guilty.
In preparation for the trial, the court instructed both the prosecution and defense teams to complete the pre-marking of their physical and documentary evidence on July 28, 29, and 30 at 2 p.m. Additionally, the court advised both sides to draft and file a joint stipulation of facts prior to the scheduled pre-trial conference, which is set for August 10 at 8:30 a.m.
In a related matter, the Sandiganbayan scheduled the arraignment for Criminal Case No. E-SB-CRM-26-0020 on July 22 at 8:30 a.m. This separate case addresses alleged violations of Presidential Decree No. 46, which bans public officials from accepting gifts.
Meanwhile, Senator Marcoleta’s arraignment remains on hold because the court has yet to rule on his pending motion to quash the charges.
The state’s plunder case is built on accusations that Defensor, Espiritu, and Viray contributed a total of ₱75 million to Marcoleta, a sum that prosecutors argue underpins the non-bailable charge brought against the senator.