Only P80M received so far from Leviste solar firm’s P24B fine – DOE

MANILA, Philippines — The government has received only P80 million, so far, from the P24 billion penalty imposed on Batangas 1st Dist. Rep. Leandro Leviste’s solar energy company, according to the Department of Energy (DOE) on Wednesday.

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin divulged this after Akbayan Partylist Rep. Chel Diokno raised the penalty issue during the House Committee on Appropriations’ budget hearing for the DOE on Wednesday.

The DOE recently imposed a P24 billion penalty against Leviste’s Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings Inc. (SPPHI) for supposedly failing to produce power it committed to deliver under more than 30 service contracts with the government.

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READ: Leviste’s solar energy firm slapped with P24-B fine

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“P80 million, Mr. Chair,” Garin said when asked by Diokno about the amount the government received from the solar firm’s penalty.

When pressed on how the DOE plans to compel SPPHI to return the total P24 billion to the government, Garin said a criminal complaint has already been filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ), and a civil case has been lodged with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).

“The issue currently is in the hands of the DOJ… and then the OSG is handling the civil case,” said Garin. 

READ: DOE files complaint vs Leviste, 5 other solar firm execs

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“The purpose of these cases is also to recover the P14 billion in expired bonds, is that correct?” Diokno further asked, in which Garin answered in the affirmative.

Why not blacklist Solar PH?

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During the interpellation, Diokno also pressed whether the DOE has taken any steps to blacklist SPPHI.

Garin explained that since blacklisting or even suspension of companies was not included in the DOE’s circular, the agency recently issued guidelines regarding the blacklisting, pointing out that “we’re working on it.”

“I think a month or two months ago, we issued a new circular on GenCos’ (generation companies) accountability, which gives them three strikes, and we can blacklist them,” Garin said.

Diokno then requested the guidelines and pointed out that the solar firm must already be blacklisted, which the DOE vowed to comply with.

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Leviste recently denied that SPPPHI failed to meet its targets, pointing out that projects were not actually granted permits to proceed. /gsg