The Office of the Ombudsman has escalated its anti-corruption drive, asking the Sandiganbayan to bar Senator Rodante Marcoleta, former Representative Michael Defensor, and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray from leaving the country. 

Prosecutors filed a verified ex parte application on May 25, demanding a Precautionary Hold Departure Order (PHDO) against the four individuals. 

The urgent move comes on the heels of severe criminal complaints charging them with plunder, indirect bribery, and violating Presidential Decree No. 46, a decree that prohibits giving gifts to public officials.  

The looming travel restrictions stem from a Commission on Elections investigation into 75 million Philippine pesos in campaign donations allegedly cornered by Marcoleta in January 2025, which he reportedly omitted from his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures. 

The Sandiganbayan’s Seventh Division has scheduled the critical PHDO hearing today, May 26, to determine if the high-profile suspects pose a flight risk while the active investigation unfolds.