FACT CHECK: No arrest warrant issued vs Marcoleta

Claim: An arrest warrant has been issued against Senator Rodante Marcoleta.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim was posted on June 19 by the Facebook page “Makata Ng Bayan,” which has a following of more than 940,000. The post itself has garnered more than 19,000 reactions, 6,200 comments, and 6,300 shares as of writing.

According to the post, neither the Philippine National Police (PNP) nor the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is willing to serve the alleged arrest order for the senator.

YouTube content creators were quick to create video commentaries based on the claim, stating that Marcoleta may be arrested at any time. Most of the videos’ thumbnails include AI-generated graphics of Marcoleta being arrested or behind bars.

Comments on the Facebook post also encouraged protests against Marcoleta’s alleged arrest, calling for the involvement of the religious group Iglesia ni Cristo, while others warned that the government would allegedly impose martial law.

The facts: In a press conference on June 22, PNP public information chief Colonel Allen Rae Co said the police did not receive any warrant to arrest Marcoleta.

PNP Chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. also said in a statement that the PNP would only make an arrest once ordered by the court. 

“The Philippine National Police has not issued any special operational directive concerning Senator Marcoleta, and we do not act on rumors or unverified information,” he said.

“The Philippine National Police remains a professional and apolitical organization, and all our actions are based on legal orders of competent courts, on the rule of law and on the maintenance of peace and order,” he added.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla also told ABS-CBN News that a warrant could only be issued by a court after charges have been filed.

“For a warrant to occur, a charge must be filed against him at the Sandiganbayan. I know of no such charges being filed,” he said. 

The statement came after Marcoleta posted a video on social media on June 16, where he said that an arrest warrant would be issued against him over plunder and indirect bribery complaints filed before the Office of the Ombudsman stemming from his alleged non-disclosure of campaign funds during the 2025 midterm elections.

Marcoleta faces questions over the non-inclusion of P75 million in campaign donations in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures. He explained that he was not yet a candidate when he received the donations.

A precautionary hold departure order was approved by the Sandiganbayan on May 26 following a request from the Office of the Ombudsman against Marcoleta and three other respondents.

Marcoleta’s response: Earlier, Marcoleta said that he would not resist arrest based on what he claimed were made-up charges. He also said that he would push through with his attempts to expose the massive system of corruption in flood control projects.

His statement came following the testimonies of 18 former security aides airing allegations on the flood control controversy. These testimonies have been questioned by various personalities, including Senator Raffy Tulfo, who said that the group was seemingly fed information to push a certain agenda. – Lourence Angelo Marcellana/Rappler.com

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