Comelec Issues Show Cause Order to Senator Marcoleta Over Financial Discrepancies

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has confirmed that Senator Rodante Marcoleta has received a show cause order (SCO) issued last Friday concerning discrepancies identified in his financial documents.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia, during an interview at the agency's main office in Manila, stated that the SCO was dispatched on November 21, prompting the senator to provide an explanation for the inconsistencies between his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) and his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).

"The order requests his clarification so the matter can be resolved. The SOCE must fully disclose all relevant financial details. We need to understand why certain information was omitted and why it was not submitted by the candidate," Garcia explained.

The senator has been allotted ten days to submit his response to the Comelec through the Political Finance and Affairs Department. The commission acknowledged it tends to be accommodating with deadline extensions as part of ensuring due process.

In a related update, Chairperson Garcia revealed that the Comelec is preparing to release a resolution this week on Senator Francis Escudero's case, which involves a campaign contribution from a government contractor during the May 2022 elections.