A huge rally was on its second day of being staged at the busy People Power Monument along Edsa as of this writing, Wednesday, causing monstrous traffic for Metro Manila commuters. The rally was organized by the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC), whose members were out to express support for one of their own, Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, who faces charges and impending arrest for the non-bailable crime of plunder.
Marcoleta is accused of having admitted receiving P75 million in gifts or donations from private individuals, but without reporting the same as required by law. If the funds he received were campaign donations when he was running for senator, he was required to disclose the same in his statement of contributions and expenditures, which he admitted he did not do. If he received the funds prior to the election campaign period, he was under obligation to disclose the same as gifts in his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth, which he also did not do.
Marcoleta volunteered in his defense that he received the donations from several private individuals before the start of the election campaign period in 2025. But by making that admission, Marcoleta inadvertently chose the bigger of two holes to bury himself in. Since he received the funds prior to the campaign period, he received gifts from private individuals by reason of his position as a congressman. And that placed him squarely within the anti-plunder law, which covers public officials who receive “gifts” from private sources by reason of their official position.
Apart from Marcoleta’s admission, one of those who gave him a monetary gift confirmed giving a sizeable donation to Marcoleta. Former Macapagal Arroyo administration Cabinet Secretary Michael Defensor admitted having donated P30 million to Marcoleta, purportedly to help the latter in his election campaign. Defensor faces criminal charges as a co-accused of Marcoleta. So, the crucial facts are established by the very own admissions of the respondents, and all that remains is for the determination of what law was violated by Marcoleta and his cohorts. At this point, the requirement of probable cause has been more than satisfied for the Ombudsman to file criminal charges and for the Sandiganbayan to issue warrants of arrest against Marcoleta and his co-respondents.
In its statement, the INC complains of selective justice in the prosecution of Marcoleta. Even other speakers in the rally are singing the same tune. Obviously, they are referring to the non-filing of charges so far, against former House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez, and Marcoleta’s former allies in the Senate minority bloc, namely, Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Sen. Joel Villanueva.
But the INC and the other rallyists are, by themselves, engaged in “selective justice” by calling for the filing of charges against administration allies, while they engage in a massive rally to shield Marcoleta from criminal charges that he himself provided evidence to. If the INC and the rallyists are real advocates of non-selective justice, they should not single out for protection one criminal suspect, but instead call for the prosecution of more criminal culprits in the ranks of our politicians, regardless of political color.
Marcoleta cannot cite the crimes attributed to other politicians as a point to argue that he should not be prosecuted as well. This is a juvenile argument invoked by kids and toddlers when they complain to their parents, “Why are other kids allowed [to do this or that], but not me?” The crimes of his fellow politicians do not erase the crimes committed by Marcoleta himself.
The huge difference between Marcoleta and the other accused politicians is that Marcoleta and his cohorts have provided the crucial facts that support the charges against them. Consequently, the cases against them could naturally proceed more speedily. The other politicians, such as Escudero, Villanueva, and Romualdez, have denied the accusations against them, thereby requiring the Ombudsman to come up with witnesses who will support and establish the facts against them.
Personalities in the INC rally are also demanding accountability from President Marcos himself, with some even categorically calling for Mr. Marcos’ ouster from Malacañang. While the INC provides a platform for speakers to denounce the President, there is complete and eerie silence on the criminal culpability of Vice President Sara Duterte, notwithstanding the very serious charges and very glaring evidence against her. In fact, in January 2025, the INC staged a massive rally at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, opposing the impeachment of VP Sara despite the evidence against her. They now again engage in a massive protest, while the impeachment against VP Sara is just about to begin. Coincidence or intentional? They must call for accountability against both the President and the Vice President, if they’re true believers in blind justice.
Now, who’s engaged in selective protest and practicing selective justice?
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