BREAKING: The Office of the Ombudsman files non-bailable plunder case against Senator Rodante Marcoleta with the Sandiganbayan on Friday, July 3.

This stems from questions on Marcoleta's P75-million campaign donation in 2025.

Once arrested, Marcoleta can't be released from detention since plunder is non-bailable.

Ombudsman on plunder case vs Marcoleta: ‘Utang na loob’ no place in public office

The Office of the Ombudsman says that the Filipino value of “utang na loob” has no place in public office as it files a plunder case against Senator Rodante Marcoleta.

“The moment gratitude is used to explain away P75 million in undisclosed money, it stops being ‘utang na loob’ and becomes exactly what our plunder and bribery laws were written to prevent,” it says.

The Office of the Ombudsman says the facts in the case against Marcoleta are indisputable and have been publicly confirmed by the senator.

JUST IN: The Office of the Ombudsman orders the dismissal of former Senate sergeant-at-arms Mao Aplasca, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla confirms to Rappler.

Aplasca, Senator Bato dela Rosa's classmate, was the former official tagged in the shooting incident inside the Senate building last May. He was under the Ombudsman's investigation.

BREAKING: SANDIGANBAYAN ORDERS MARCOLETA'S ARREST

The Sandiganbayan's 3rd Division issues an arrest warrant and a hold-departure order against Senator Rodante Marcoleta and three co-accused in a plunder case involving questions over his P75 million in campaign contributions, Associate Justice Karl Miranda announces on Monday, July 6. | via @Jelo Mantaring - Rappler

JUST IN: Former congressman Mike Defensor, co-accused in the plunder case of Senator Rodante Marcoleta, was arrested on Monday, July 6, in a coffee shop in Quezon City, says Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla.

Another respondent in the plunder case, Joseph Espiritu, was also arrested. @here

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NEWS UPDATE: Duterte-allied Israelito Torreon goes to the Supreme Court to challenge Senator Chiz Escudero as the Senate impeachment court's presiding officer.

With 12-8 votes, the Senate elected Escudero on July 6 as the presiding officer. Duterte-allied senators voted against Escudero's election.

When a public figure like the Vice President accuses herself of hiring an assassin, we must take that seriously.

These words act as a public warning and shape how people trust their leaders.

Senator Risa Hontiveros asked what proof we have that the Vice President actually hired someone, and whether it’s even an impeachable offense.

I think that question is wrong.

We need to ask: What evidence proves that the Vice President didn’t hire an assassin?

Because, based on her statement, she did.

If we’re going to debate whether it was intentional or not, then what’s the point of her making that statement if we don’t take it seriously?

If we don’t demand real proof, we risk undermining trust in our government.

Cebu court grants Sarah Discaya bail in malversation case

The Regional Trial Court in Lapu-Lapu City Branch 27 has granted controversial government contractor Sarah Discaya bail on her malversation case linked with an alleged P96-million ghost project in Davao Occidental.

Presiding Judge Nelson Leyco, in a resolution issued on July 7, ruled that the prosecution failed to establish strong evidence of her participation in the conspiracy to commit the malversation of public funds via the falsification of public documents.

Another Sandiganbayan division orders arrest of Marcoleta, Defensor

The Sandiganbayan 4th Division has ordered the arrest of Senator Rodante Marcoleta and former congressman Mike Defensor for their alleged violation of Presidential Decree No. 46, which prohibits public officials from receiving gifts.

It is a bailable offense. The Sandiganbayan 4th Division set their bail at P30,000.

Hold departure orders have also been issued.

Previously, the Sandiganbayan 3rd Division ordered the arrest of Marcoleta, Defensor, and two more co-accused for the non-bailable plunder case.

BREAKING: The Supreme Court junks the petitions challenging the legality of the No Contact Apprehension Policy or NCAP.

The High Court says the issue became moot or no longer significant "because of the adoption of a new and uniform traffic enforcement framework under the Metro Manila Traffic Code of 2023 (MMTC 2023)."

NEWS UPDATE: The Sandiganbayan junks Senator Jinggoy Estrada's request to attend Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial as a senator-judge.

"Accordingly, the Motion to Allow Accused Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada to Attend the Senate Impeachment Trial of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio dated June 29, 2026 of accused Senator Jose "Jinggoy" P. Ejercito Estrada is denied for lack of merit," the seven-page resolution reads.

NEWS UPDATE: The International Criminal Court (ICC) Trial Chamber III cancels the status conference for former president Rodrigo Duterte's case.

"The Chamber decided as such in light of the parties and participants indicating that they do not have specific matters which require attention at this stage of the proceedings. The next status conference in the case is currently scheduled for 16 September 2026 and the trial is set to commence on 30 November 2026," the ICC announces.

A Batangas court has ordered the arrest of former Sunstar Cebu and Bacolod editor in chief Marchel Espina and 4 others in connection with an opinion piece written by a contributor that was published in December 2024.

The 5 respondents were charged with unjust vexation. The court set the bail at P6,000 for each person.

BREAKING: The Office of the Ombudsman files 14 counts of graft against "Congtractor" USWAG Ilonggo Representative James Ang Jr. with the Sandiganbayan on Saturday, July 25,

"While sitting in Congress, Rep. Ang holds a stake in a construction firm that won ₱214 million in DPWH contracts — and was paid nearly ₱199 million for them.

The Constitution is clear: no lawmaker may be financially interested in a government contract during his term," the Ombudsman says.

"Conflict of interest is not a gray area. It does not require proof that a deal was rigged or that cash changed hands — only that a public official profited, or stood to profit, from a government contract while in office. Here, and in many cases, the clear and thick constitutional line is constantly and blatantly being crossed," it adds.