Authorities in the Philippines have arrested a sitting senator and filed corruption charges against him under the country’s anti-graft laws, marking the latest case involving a member of the Senate in a widening crackdown on alleged large-scale corruption.
Despite denying the allegations against him, Philippine Senator Rodante Marcoleta was taken into custody after appearing before the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City, where he had sought to challenge the charges and request a delay in the execution of the arrest warrant.
Prosecutors charged Marcoleta with plunder, a serious offence under Philippine law involving the unlawful accumulation of vast wealth through multiple criminal acts. The offence is non-bailable, meaning an accused person cannot be released on bail while awaiting trial.
Responding to the court’s decision, the 72-year-old lawyer said, “Let’s respect that,” referring to the preliminary ruling that led to the issuance of the arrest order. Moments later, police officers escorted him into custody.
Marcoleta is a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo, whose followers staged a three-day protest involving more than 15,000 members at a democracy monument along one of metropolitan Manila’s busiest highways. The demonstration, organised in opposition to the charges against the senator and the planned arrest, caused severe traffic congestion across the area.
Heightened security concerns surrounding the mass protest organised by the Iglesia ni Cristo prompted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to cancel two scheduled engagements outside his office on Tuesday. The religious group is well known for drawing large crowds to public demonstrations.
