Senator Panfilo Lacson said Saturday the plunder case filed against Senator Rodante Marcoleta over his alleged non-disclosure of campaign contributions could turn into a "reverse trial."

In a social media post, Lacson said Marcoleta appeared to have made an "admission against interest" after publicly acknowledging that he received cash donations for his 2025 senatorial campaign but did not declare the amount in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).

"REVERSE TRIAL: The prosecutor may just sit and watch with folded arms while the respondent argues against himself and the damning evidence that he himself presented in plain view of all the witnesses who watched his 'admission against interest' on national TV," Lacson said.

The senator also rejected claims that the case was politically motivated, saying Marcoleta himself provided the evidence now being used against him.

On Friday, July 3, the Office of the Ombudsman filed plunder charges before the Sandiganbayan against Marcoleta over ₱75 million in campaign contributions he received ahead of the 2025 senatorial elections.