By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Businessman Aristotle Viray, one of the individuals charged alongside Senator Rodante Marcoleta in the Ombudsman-filed plunder case, has been transferred to the Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory after completing court procedures before the Sandiganbayan.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) confirmed that Viray was admitted to the detention facility shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday following the return of the warrant for his arrest before the Sandiganbayan Third Division.
Viray was apprehended Monday evening after court hours, prompting authorities to bring him before the anti-graft court the next day for the formal processing of his arrest before his commitment to jail.
Before his transfer, the Philippine National Police (PNP) brought Viray to the PNP Health Service after he reportedly experienced elevated blood pressure. He remained under medical observation overnight before being declared fit for detention.
Viray is among those facing plunder charges arising from the alleged P75-million campaign contributions received by Marcoleta during the 2025 senatorial elections while he was still serving as a party-list lawmaker.
Also charged in the case are former congressman Mike Defensor and Joseph Espiritu, who, together with Marcoleta, were earlier taken into custody after the Sandiganbayan issued warrants of arrest.
The Office of the Ombudsman alleged that the three contributors donated P30 million, P25 million, and P20 million, respectively, for Marcoleta’s campaign, bringing the total amount to P75 million.
Investigators claimed the amount exceeded the legal threshold for plunder and was allegedly omitted from Marcoleta’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) and campaign finance disclosures.
Defense Disputes Allegations
In his sworn response to the complaint, Marcoleta argued that the money consisted of lawful campaign contributions from private individuals and did not constitute public funds.
He further maintained that the donations no longer appeared in his SALN because they had already been fully utilized for election-related expenditures before the filing of his asset declaration.
The senator had also previously acknowledged in a televised interview that the campaign donations were not publicly identified because some contributors preferred to remain anonymous.
Meanwhile, Marcoleta continues to receive treatment at the PNP General Hospital after complaining of chest pain and high blood pressure following his arrest.
The plunder proceedings against Marcoleta and his co-accused are expected to continue before the Sandiganbayan as the criminal case advances through the judicial process.
ia/xf
