Published May 23, 2026 10:39pm + Add GMA on Google Make this your preferred source to get more updates from this publisher on Google. The Commission on Elections said it may coordinate with the Office of the Ombudsman over issues surrounding a P75-million donation received by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta as a senatorial candidate.According to a report on "24 Oras Weekend," the development came after the poll body dismissed its motu proprio investigation into the donation, which had been flagged for not being initially declared in Marcoleta’s Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).Comelec chair George Erwin Garcia said the agency has yet to receive any motion for reconsideration that could reopen the case.Despite this, Garcia said the Comelec has not ruled out further action, including possible coordination with the Ombudsman, where a separate complaint has been filed.The complaint before the Ombudsman questions whether the donation was properly declared in Marcoleta’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), a requirement separate from election reporting rules.Marcoleta had earlier said the donation was received before the start of the campaign period.The complaint identified three individuals as alleged sources of the donation: former congressman Mike Defensor, Joseph Espiritu, and Aristotle Baluyot.Defensor earlier questioned how the issue could amount to plunder, noting the absence of government funds.GMA News sought comment from Marcoleta, Espiritu, and Baluyot, but they had yet to respond as of posting. —Sherylin Untalan/MCG, GMA News