ASIDE from Senator Rodante Marcoleta, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Thursday, November 13, 2025, said all statements of contributions and expenditures (Soces) during the May 2025 polls will be checked for truthfulness.
In an interview, Comelec Chairman George Garcia disclosed that its Political Finance and Affairs Department (PFAD) is reviewing whether candidates and political parties made truthful and complete declarations of their contributors and expenditures.
"Tinitingnan na individually ang mga Soce patungkol sa declarations at kung tama ang declarations (in the Soce)."
(Each Soce is being reviewed individually regarding the declarations and whether they are accurate.)
He said candidates who wrongfully declared information in their Soces may face charges of election offense, perjury, and falsification of public documents.
"The Comelec's purpose is not to remove them, but to file criminal cases. Ang pagtatanggal ay nasa mga ahensya or department kung saan kabilang sila."
(The Comelec’s purpose is not to remove them, but to file criminal cases. Removal is under the agencies or departments to which they belong.)
Case of Marcoleta
The poll body issued the statement following questions over Marcoleta’s Soce and its supposed discrepancy with his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN).
"Kung umabot sa punto na yun, dapat naman mabigyan ng avenue ang kandidato or public official para paliwanag ang sarili. It is only right that there is a presumption of innocence. There should be formality (in the investigation)," Garcia said.
(If it comes to that point, the candidate or public official should be given an avenue to explain themselves. It is only right that there is a presumption of innocence. There should be formality in the investigation.)
Garcia said they are also reviewing how to secure an official copy of Marcoleta's SALN.
"Pinagaaralan namin paano gagawin ang request. Sa ahensya ba kung saan kabilang ang personalidad or sa Office of the Ombudsman?"
(We are studying how to make the request. Should it go through the agency to which the person belongs or through the Office of the Ombudsman?)
Garcia admitted that any investigation concerning Marcoleta or any candidate would proceed faster if a petition is filed.
In his Soce, Marcoleta reported receiving P0 contributions while spending P112,857,951.44 during the May 2025 polls.
Questions have been raised about how he spent P112.85 million when his SALN showed a net worth of P51.9 million. Marcoleta explained that friends donated funds for his campaign, but he intentionally did not declare them to honor the donors’ request for anonymity. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)