Marcoleta ‘solicited’ funds from donor – witness tells Sandiganbayan

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Rodante Marcoleta allegedly “solicited” P20 million from businessman Aristotle Viray, one of the donors linked to the plunder case involving P75-million funds, a witness told the Sandiganbayan on Thursday.

Maria Melinda Mananghaya-Henson of the Office of the Ombudsman’s Field Investigation Bureau, who led the fact-finding investigation into the case, made the revelation during the bail petition hearing of Marcoleta and his co-accused, former Rep. Mike Defensor and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Viray.

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Of the P75 million, P20 million came from Viray, but it was not immediately clear if this entire amount is the subject of the alleged solicitation.

During clarificatory questions from Associate Justice Karl Miranda, chair of the Sandiganbayan Third Division, Mananghaya-Henson said Viray stated in his counter-affidavit during the Ombudsman’s preliminary investigation that “it was Marcoleta who solicited” the amount from him. /dp