00:00The Sandigan Bayan, 3rd Division, composed of Associate Justice, myself, Associate Justice Ronald B. Moreno, and Associate Justice Fritz Ryan
00:10Anthony M. De Los Santos, issued today, July 6, 2026,
00:16warrants of arrest and hold departure order in criminal case E-SB-26-CRM-0018 for plunder against Senator Rodante
00:30Dyson Marcoleta, Michael Tan Defensor, Joseph Barrios Espiritu, and Aristotel Baluyot Viray.
00:39The issuance of the warrant of arrest signifies only that, after evaluating the records, the court found probable cause to
00:51believe that the accused committed the offense charge.
00:56Probable cause for the issuance of a warrant of arrest exists when the facts and circumstances would lead a reasonably
01:04discreet and prudent person to believe that an offense has been committed by the person sought to be arrested.
01:12Let me stress, yung warrant of arrest does not constitute a determination of guilt.
01:20Hindi pa guilty yan.
01:22All the accused continue to enjoy the constitutional presumption of innocence until their guilt is proven beyond reasonable doubt.
01:33Again, the court's proceedings are governed solely solely by the Constitution, the applicable laws, and the evidence properly presented before
01:43it.
01:45The court would want to remind the counsel who have appeared for the accused, and even Senator Rodante Marcoleta, who
01:57himself is a lawyer,
01:58that as officers of the court, they are duty-bound together with the prosecutors to uphold the integrity and administration
02:09of justice,
02:10to ensure compliance with lawful orders of the court, to conduct themselves and all persons acting under their direction with
02:21fairness, order, dignity, and full respect for the rule of law and the courts.
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