PNP debunks Marcoleta, says no arrest order over plunder raps
MANILA, Philippines —The Philippine National Police denied receiving any order to arrest Sen. Rodante Marcoleta over plunder and indirect bribery complaints against him.
In a statement Monday, June 22, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the police would make an arrest only on the basis of a court order.
“The Philippine National Police has not issued any special operational directive concerning Senator Marcoleta, and we do not act on rumors or unverified information,” Nartatez’s statement read.
The statement came after Marcoleta claimed that an arrest warrant might soon be served against him in connection with plunder and indirect bribery complaints.
The issue stemmed from complaints the Office of the Ombudsman recommended filed over the senator's alleged failure to disclose campaign donations in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures.
Investigators found that Marcoleta received a total of P75 million in donations from former lawmaker Mike Defensor, Joseph Varias Espiritu and Aristotle Viray over a four-day period in January 2025.
In the same statement, Nartatez said Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla was also unaware of any warrant against Marcoleta.
"The Philippine National Police remains a professional and apolitical organization, and all our actions are based on legal orders of competent courts, on the rule of law and on the maintenance of peace and order," Nartatez said.
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