False Facebook Graphic Claims Supreme Court Dismissed Senator Marcoleta’s Plunder Case — Not True

A widely shared Tagalog-language Facebook graphic falsely claimed the Supreme Court had dismissed plunder charges against Senator Rodante Marcoleta and that he had been freed. Court records and public statements show no such dismissal; Marcoleta remains in “temporary detention” and a Sandiganbayan preliminary conference took place on July 28.

Background

Marcoleta, a Duterte ally, surrendered to authorities on graft-related charges hours before Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial began. He faces allegations tied to an alleged failure to declare $1.2 million in unused campaign funds, including a charge of plunder — a non-bailable offense in the Philippines.

What The False Post Said

"Case dismissed! Marcoleta freed: plunder case dismissed by court!"

The graphic also asserted the Supreme Court ruled there was "no proof of plunder." AFP’s SynthID tool flagged the image used in the graphic as likely AI-generated, and a screenshot of the post was archived on July 31, 2026.

What Checks Showed

• No Official Dismissal Found: There were no Sandiganbayan or Supreme Court records indicating the plunder case had been dismissed.
• Sandiganbayan Proceedings: The anti-graft court’s Third Division held a routine preliminary conference on July 28, where prosecutors and defence counsel listed evidence and witnesses.
• Marcoleta’s Statement: On July 22 Marcoleta posted that he remains an elected senator despite being in "temporary detention" and asked the Senate to allow him to vote in Duterte’s impeachment trial — contradicting claims that he had been freed.
• Supreme Court Records: The only Supreme Court matter involving Marcoleta in the public records was a 2009 internal party-list leadership dispute, unrelated to the current plunder allegations.

Why It Matters

The false claim circulated amid a highly charged political moment: the House had impeached Vice President Sara Duterte in May on multiple counts, and a Senate conviction would require a two-thirds vote of the 24-seat chamber. Prosecutors have argued the conviction threshold should apply only to senators who participate in the trial, a legal point that has heightened interest in which senators can sit as judges.

Responses And Sources

AFP contacted both the Sandiganbayan and the Supreme Court for comment but did not receive responses. Archived screenshots of the misleading graphic and Marcoleta’s public statement were reviewed when verifying the claim.

Bottom line: The viral Facebook graphic claiming the Supreme Court tossed out Marcoleta’s plunder case is false. Official court records and Marcoleta’s own July 22 statement show no dismissal; the Sandiganbayan continued routine proceedings on July 28.