Lawyer on Comelec’s Marcoleta ruling: One for the booksSenators Rodante Marcoleta address the media during a press conference held at the Senate in Pasay City on January 20, 2026. MANILA, Philippines — Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal slammed the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to clear Sen. Rodante Marcoleta of the complaints against him for not disclosing P75 million worth of donations during his Senate campaign. Marcoleta argued that the amount was donated to him before he was declared a candidate, citing past jurisprudence. “If the donation was given when Marcoleta was not yet a ‘candidate,’ how can Section 99 be applied to the donors? If Marcoleta was not a candidate when he took the money, then the money was not an ‘election contribution’ – it was practically a private gift.

Source: Philippine Star March 23, 2026 22:00 UTC