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Rodante Marcoleta | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 Official portrait, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senate Deputy Minority Leader | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office September 9, 2025 Serving with Joel Villanueva | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader | Alan Peter Cayetano | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Risa Hontiveros | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Senate Deputy Majority Leader | |||||||||||||||||||||
| In office July 30, 2025 – September 8, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader | Joel Villanueva | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Mark Villar | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Risa Hontiveros | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Senator of the Philippines | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office June 30, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines | |||||||||||||||||||||
| In office July 29, 2019 – June 1, 2022 Serving with several others | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Speaker | Alan Peter Cayetano Lord Allan Velasco | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of theHouse of Representatives forSAGIP | |||||||||||||||||||||
| In office June 30, 2016 – June 30, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of theHouse of Representatives forAlagad | |||||||||||||||||||||
| In office June 30, 2004 – June 30, 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Rodante Dizon Marcoleta (1953-07-29)July 29, 1953 (age 72) Paniqui, Tarlac, Philippines | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Party | Independent (2024–present) PDP (2021–2024) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations | SAGIP (Party-list) (2015–2025) Alagad (Party-list) (2004–2013) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Edna Magbitang | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 3, includingPaolo | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | San Sebastian College (LL.B) University of the East (MBA) University of the Philippines Diliman (D.P.A) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Politician | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Profession | Lawyer | ||||||||||||||||||||
Rodante Dizon Marcoleta (English:/mɑːrkəˈlɛtə/,Tagalog:[roˈdantemaɾkɔˈlɛta]; born July 29, 1953) is a Filipino television host, lawyer, and politician who has served as asenator of the Philippines since 2025. A former member of thePartido Demokratiko Pilipino, he served as the representative for theSAGIP Partylist from 2016 to 2025 and as the representative for theAlagad Party-list from 2004 to 2013. He is the first elected Philippine senator affiliated with theIglesia ni Cristo.
During his tenure in the lower house, he chaired theCommittee on Poverty Alleviation (2009), and later theSpecial Committee on Globalization and WTO (2018). Marcoleta also chaired theCA Committee on Public Works and Highways, and as assistant majority leader of theCommission on Appointments until he was unanimously expelled from five committees. He served as asenior deputy House majority leader from 2018 to 2019, and as adeputy speaker from 2019 to 2022.
Rodante Dizon Marcoleta was born on July 29, 1953, inPaniqui, Tarlac.[1] His parents are farmers and he is the second among nine siblings.[2]
Marcoleta obtained a master's degree in business administration at theUniversity of the East and a doctorate in public administration at theUniversity of the Philippines Diliman in 2020. He also earned a developmental leadership certificate atHarvard Kennedy School.[3]
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Marcoleta was elected to theHouse of Representatives of the Philippines under the13th Congress representing the partylist ofAlagad from 2004 to 2007, which sought to represent the urban poor sector in Congress. Marcoleta was among the twelve new partylist congressmen who were already millionaires before being sworn in.[4] He was later reelected under Alagad twice to the15th and16th Congress, serving from 2007 until 2013.[5]
During his first term as congressman, Marcoleta was criticized for filing numerous bills and resolutions that were unrelated to issues concerning the urban poor, and was considered one of the leading proponents for family planning in the House of Representatives.[4] In June 2005, Marcoleta endorsed thefirst impeachment complaint againstPresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo filed by lawyer Oliver Lozano for "betrayal of public trust" in the aftermath of theHello Garci scandal.[6][4] As an administration congressman, Marcoleta explained that his intent was find out how truthful the electoral fraud allegations against the president were, and the decision to endorse was not influenced by theIglesia ni Cristo.[7] Minority LeaderFrancis Escudero criticized Marcoleta's decision due to it initiating a one-year-ban on filing for another impeachment, voicing his belief that the complaint was merely for show in order to prevent the opposition from filing its own impeachment complaint against president Arroyo.[7][4]
In September 2014, the Commission on Audit (COA) reported that Marcoleta channeled ₱15 million of pork barrel funds to dubious NGOs during his term in Congress as Alagad party-list representative, as part of thepork barrel scam involvingJanet Lim-Napoles.[8] In 2016, the COA's pork barrel investigation included Marcoleta on its list of lawmakers whose pork barrel funds were allotted to dubious NGOs from 2007 to 2009.[9]
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In 2016, under the17th Congress, he was elected party-list representative of the Social Amelioration and Genuine Intervention on Poverty, more commonly known by its abbreviationSAGIP.[5] He is known as the proponent of slashing the budget of theCommission on Human Rights to₱1,000 (equivalent to ₱1,155 in 2021).[10] Marcoleta was one of the principal authors of the landmark law Magna Carta of the Poor,[11] which was signed by PresidentRodrigo Duterte in April 2019.[12]
During the18th Congress, he served as a house deputy speaker.[13]
One of the vocal detractors againstABS-CBN, Marcoleta is one of the70 representatives who voted to permanently deny the renewal of the network's franchise[14][15][16] and is responsible for the termination of the landmark partnership deal between ABS-CBN and TV5.[17][18][19][20][21]
On September 18, 2024, Marcoleta was removed as vice chairperson (and effectively as a member) of theHouse Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability and replaced by representativeJanette Garin ofIloilo's1st district.[22][23] A week later on September 25, Marcoleta was unanimously expelled from five further committees (Constitutional Amendments,Public Accounts,Energy,Justice and theCommission on Appointments) by the House of Representatives and replaced byManila Teachers Party-list representative Virgilio Lacson.[24][25] Although no explanation was given, his removal from the committees came after his actions opposing the House committees' investigations into Vice PresidentSara Duterte's fund utilization.[26][23]
During a House inquiry on disinformation in 2025, Marcoleta falsely claimed that "there was noWest Philippine Sea", that it is only a designation "created by us" and does not appear in maps. He was fact-checked for this claim.[27][28] A few days thereafter, he backpedaled as his remark drew flak. He clarified that the label does not appear in international maps and that the sea is the Philippines' regardless of the name.[29]
In April 2021, during theCOVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, Marcoleta andAnakalusugan party-list representativeMike Defensor initiated an "ivermectin pan-three" that distributes the anti-parasitic drugivermectin, despite warnings from theWorld Health Organization on the lack of evidence to support the drug's efficacy againstCOVID-19.[30][31]
In September 2021, Marcoleta was nominated by thePDP–Laban political party to run for senator in the2022 Philippine Senate elections.[32][33][34] On April 27, 2022, twelve days prior to the elections, Marcoleta withdrew his senatorial bid, citing his 'poor showing' in the surveys.[35][36]
On October 8, 2024, Marcoleta filed his candidacy for the2025 Philippine Senate election as an independent candidate, and was one of the candidates of theDuterTen senatorial slate.[37][38] He along seven other candidates received formal endorsement from his church, theIglesia ni Cristo in May 2025 days prior to the election.[39]
Despite consistently placing outside the top twelve in surveys in the lead up to the election, Marcoleta was elected as a senator, placing sixth with more than 15 million votes.[40]
Marcoleta assumed office as senator on June 30, 2025. In the following month, shortly after the opening of the20th Congress, he was named as aSenate deputy majority floor leader and the chairman of theSenate Blue Ribbon Committee.[41] As head of the Blue Ribbon Committee, Marcoleta led an investigation into theflood control projects controversy in the Philippines, where public funds were allegedly funneled to substandard and ghost projects to benefit a handful of favored contractors and government officials.[42]
He served in both capacities until September 8, 2025, when SenatorTito Sotto became theSenate President, replacing SenatorFrancis Escudero.[43] On September 9, Marcoleta was named as aSenate deputy minority floor leader, alongside SenatorJoel Villanueva.[44]
At a hearing on corruption relating to government flood control projects, SenatorPanfilo Lacson accused Marcoleta of protecting contractorsCurlee and Sarah Discaya,[45] who allegedly benefited from anomalous flood control projects during the presidencies of Rodrigo Duterte and Bongbong Marcos. Less than a month later after replacing Marcoleta on the Blue Ribbon Committee, on October 6, 2025, Lacson resigned as chairman abruptly and submitted his resignation to Sotto.
In December 2025, election watchdogKontra Daya and the Advocates of Public Interest Law filed a perjury complaint against Marcoleta before the Ombudsman, for failing to disclose campaign donations he received for the May 2025 elections.[46]
Marcoleta has criticized Philippine Coast Guard spokespersonJay Tarriela in January 2026 when the latter was rebuked by the Chinese Embassy for delivered a presentation which included satirical images of Chinese presidentXi Jinping. Marcoleta viewed such action by Tarriella could be avoided. He criticized the government'stransparency initiative and suggested the Philippines could be an ally if theSouth China Sea dispute is resolved.[47]
Marcoleta is married to Edna Magbitang ofAnao,Tarlac. The couple has three children, including incumbent SAGIP Party-list RepresentativePaolo Marcoleta.[1][48][49] Magbitang is an independent director of Stronghold Insurance Co. Inc. since February 2024.[50]
Marcoleta is a member of theIglesia ni Cristo and his former partylistAlagad is noted for its association with the religion.[51][52] His sonPaolo Henry served as president of SAGIP Partylist.[3] He is also the host ofNet 25 public affairs programSa Ganang Mamamayan (lit.For Citizens) and public service programSagip Barangay ng Mamamayan in Action.[53][54]
| Year | Office | Party | Votes received | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | P. | Swing | |||||
| 2004 | Representative (Party-list) | Alagad | 340,977 | 2.68% | 11st | N/a | Won | |
| 2007 | 423,165 | 2.64% | 8th | −0.04 | Won | |||
| 2010 | 227,281 | 0.76% | 36th | −1.88 | Won | |||
| 2016 | SAGIP | 397,064 | 1.23% | 27th | N/a | Won | ||
| 2019 | 257,313 | 0.92% | 32nd | −0.31 | Won | |||
| 2022 | 780,456 | 2.14% | 6th | +1.20 | Won | |||
| 2022 | Senator of the Philippines | PDP | 3,591,899 | 6.63% | 31st | N/a | Withdrawn | |
| 2025 | Independent | 15,250,723 | 26.59% | 6th | +19.96 | Won | ||
Chua, the committee's newly-appointed chairperson, said that because Marcoleta was originally appointed to the committee as vice chairperson, his removal from the post meant that he is no longer its member.
[...]Rodante Marcoleta stirred the pot by arguing that the root of Wednesday's inquiry, which is the privilege speech of Manila RepresentativeRolando Valeriano titled 'Asserting the Power of the Purse of Congress,' does not cover the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) budget use because nobody is questioning Congress' power of the purse to begin with.
Sagip party list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta[...] meanwhile moved to terminate the deliberations on the OVP budget in 'observance of that well-kept tradition: the two highest positions in government namely the Office of the President and [OVP] were duly accorded with respect,' Marcoleta said.
Media related toRodante Marcoleta at Wikimedia Commons
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