Senator Rodante Marcoleta pleads not guilty before the Sandiganbayan Third Division on charges involving plunder and violations of Presidential Decree 46. According to reports, the plea is entered in response to a case filed against him, where the accusation includes plunder and the alleged breach of the gift law provisions under PD 46. Other reporting also states that Marcoleta makes the plea alongside his co-accused, Joseph Espiritu, during the same court proceeding. The case is before the Sandiganbayan Third Division, which hears corruption-related matters involving public officials. The sources do not provide details on the specific allegations, the alleged acts, or the prosecution’s evidence at this stage, but they consistently note the timing and the charges to which Marcoleta responds with a not guilty plea. The plea indicates that Marcoleta denies the accusations and the case proceeds under the normal course of proceedings before the court.