Marcoleta reveals anonymous donors to Comelec, poll body confirms

Senator Rodante Marcoleta himself revealed the identities of three anonymous campaign donors to the Commission on Elections, according to a Comelec official testifying at his bail hearing on Thursday. The disclosure came through his verified position paper. Comelec's Victoria Kadeja Besinio said the agency did not know the donors—former Rep. Mike Defensor and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray—until Marcoleta submitted the document with their tax returns and bank slips. The three face plunder charges with Marcoleta over an undeclared P75 million campaign donation. The Comelec's Political Finance and Affairs Department terminated its probe after finding no election offense, despite not issuing show cause orders to the donors. Marcoleta had previously admitted receiving contributions from friends who requested anonymity.