The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is preparing to issue a show cause order to Senate Deputy Minority Leader Rodante Marcoleta next week following alleged inconsistencies in his 2025 campaign Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).
COMELEC Chairman George Erwin Garcia said the order will give Marcoleta the opportunity to formally address why he declared zero campaign contributions despite reporting over ₱112 million in expenditures—an amount more than twice his declared net worth of ₱51.96 million in his latest SALN.
“Para magkaroon din ng venue ang ating butihing senador, makapagpaliwanag at saka para magkaroon ng complete transparency and accountability, gagawin po namin ’yun,” Garcia told reporters, adding, “At asahan n’yo po sa mga susunod na araw, mai-issue na po namin ’yung show cause order na ’yan.”
The controversy intensified after Marcoleta insisted in an interview that he received no donations during his campaign, even as his SOCE reflected spending exceeding ₱100 million.
Garcia confirmed that the expenditures listed in his filing match the amount he declared, but emphasized that the source of the funds must be clarified.
“Kung saan nanggaling o paano ’yung pinanggalingan noong nagastos na amount na ’yun, ’yun ang ating gusto rin malaman,” he said.
Observers have also flagged the disparity between Marcoleta’s reported expenses and his declared wealth, prompting further scrutiny.
Garcia underscored that the commission is simply enforcing campaign finance rules, noting that Section 99 of the Omnibus Election Code mandates full reporting of both contributions and expenses.
“Dapat talaga ’yung mga kandidato, ’yung kanilang ginastos, tinanggap, ay naire-report din sa atin,” he said.