Rodante Dizon Marcoleta (born July 29, 1953) is a Filipino politician serving as the party-list representative for SAGIP since 2016. He is a former House Deputy Speaker of the 18th Congress from 2019 to 2022.[1] A successful member of the religious organization Iglesia ni Cristo, Marcoleta is one of the vocal opponents against ABS-CBN and Meralco one of the 70 representatives who voted to permanently deny the franchise renewal of the network[2][3][4] and 70 representatives who voted to permanently deny the franchise renewal of the electricity as well as responsible for the termination of ABS-CBN Meralco and TV5's landmark partnership deal.[5][6][7][8][9] Marcoleta is also the host of Net 25 public affairs program, Sa Ganang Mamamayan (lit. For Citizens).[10]
Rodante D. Marcoleta | |
---|---|
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines | |
In office July 29, 2019 – June 1, 2022 | |
House Speaker | Alan Peter Cayetano Lord Allan Velasco |
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives for SAGIP party-list | |
Assumed office June 30, 2016 | |
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives for Alagad party-list | |
In office June 30, 2004 – June 30, 2013 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Rodante Dizon Marcoleta July 29, 1953 Paniqui, Tarlac, Philippines |
Political party | PDP–Laban (2021–present) SAGIP (2016–present) Alagad (2004–2013) |
Spouse | Edna M. Marcoleta |
Children | 1 |
Alma mater | University of the Philippines Diliman (DPA) San Sebastian College (LL.B) |
Occupation | Politician |
Profession | Lawyer |
Marcoleta was elected to the House of Representatives of the Philippines under the 13th Congress representing the party-list of Alagad from 2004 to 2007 and again under the 15th Congress from 2009 until 2013. In 2016, under the 17th Congress, he was elected party-list representative of the Social Amelioration & Genuine Intervention on Poverty Partylist, more commonly known by its abbreviation SAGIP.[12] He is known as the proponent of slashing the budget of the Commission on Human Rights to 1,000 pesos.[13] Marcoleta was one of the principal authors of the landmark law Magna Carta of the Poor,[14] which was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in April 2019.[15]
In April 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, Marcoleta and Anakalusugan party-list representative Mike Defensor initiated an "ivermectin pan-three" that distributes the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin, despite warnings from the World Health Organization on the lack of evidence to support the drug's efficacy against COVID-19.[16][17]
In September 2021, Marcoleta was nominated by the PDP–Laban political party to run for senator in the 2022 Philippine Senate elections.[18][19][20] On April 27, 2022, twelve days prior to the elections, Marcoleta withdrew his senatorial bid citing his 'poor showing' in the surveys.[21][22]