Sara Duterte’s ally Marcoleta arrested hours before her impeachment trial in Philippines

A ⁠Philippine senator who is ⁠an ally of Vice-President Sara ⁠Duterte-Carpio was arrested on Monday on a plunder charge, hours before the Senate begins a high-stakes impeachment trial that could determine Duterte’s political future.Senator Rodante Marcoleta was due to sit as a senator-judge on Monday at the impeachment trial ‌against Duterte-Carpio. If convicted by a two-thirds majority in the 24-member Senate, Duterte-Carpio could be barred from running in the 2028 elections, where she remains the front runner to succeed President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr.In the Philippines, people charged with plunder are not eligible for bail. It was unclear whether the charging of Marcoleta would affect the impeachment trial process.The anti-corruption court ordered Marcoleta’s arrest after the Ombudsman’s office had accused him of accepting ‌75 million pesos (US$1.2 million) from private donors during his 2025 Senate run, violating anti-corruption laws. It also issued a hold departure order against the senator, ‌preventing him from leaving the country.Philippine Senator Rodante Marcoleta gestures from the window of a police vehicle after being arrested for alleged plunder in Quezon City on Monday. Photo: AP“After evaluating the records, the court found probable cause to believe that the accused committed the offence charged,” Judge Karl Miranda said in a statement.Police arrested Marcoleta inside ‌the courthouse on Monday, after the senator showed up to oppose the arrest order. “I will not hide. I will ‌face the ‌law and the charges according to my understanding of the law,” Marcoleta told reporters.