Legarda, Leviste did not do anything illegal – spox

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Loren Legarda’s camp has maintained that she and her son, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, have not “done anything illegal” amid investigations into the latter’s solar panel company.

Tony La Viña, Legarda’s spokesperson, described the allegations against the mother and son as “political persecution,” primarily because no formal charges have been filed against Legarda or Leviste yet.

This comes as the plunder and graft complaint against the two remains under preliminary investigation at the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with Solar Para sa Bayan (SPBC) and Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings Inc., owned by Leviste while he was still a private citizen.

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“Against that backdrop, the subsequent inclusion of Senator Legarda in an Ombudsman preliminary investigation, and the timing with which that proceeding emerged, inevitably raise questions about whether the scrutiny against her is grounded in evidence of her own acts or is being driven by the wider political issues surrounding her son,” La Viña said in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Friday.

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READ: Ombudsman reveals graft, plunder raps vs Loren Legarda, Leandro Leviste

He also said Legarda “does not own, run, or take part” in SPBC or any other solar energy companies. There was also no evidence showing her connection with Leviste’s businesses, rather than simply being his mother.

“Saying she’s connected to the business only because she’s the mother of a private businessman is pure invention. Being a parent and being a senator does not in any way prove she benefited, acted improperly, or committed a crime,” he added.

Legarda and Leviste already filed their counter-affidavit this week as ordered by the anti-graft court, according to the spokesman.

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He added that he will represent Legarda and her son in cases that may be filed against them.

READ: Ombudsman doubts circumstances of Legarda’s ‘serious’ illness

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The Ombudsman raised suspicions after Legarda and Leviste flew abroad last August amid an ongoing probe into alleged P10.44-billion irregularities involving Leviste’s solar companies.

Legarda, who is currently on medical leave, filed to extend her absence, while Leviste requested a two-month travel authority from July 26 to Sept. 24.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla insinuated that the two may not return to the country to evade the issue.

“The ombudsman’s public pronouncements convey the unmistakable impression that liability has already been assumed, notwithstanding that the matters involving them remain at the preliminary investigation stage,” La Viña said.

The case stemmed from more than 30 service contracts in the government that Leviste obtained in 2013.

The ombudsman alleged that the number of service contracts “created a virtual monopoly of solar energy projects.”

However, La Viña explained, “Solar Para sa Bayan is one corporation. Other Solar Philippines companies are separate entities. A congressional franchise is different from a renewable energy service contract. Both a service contract and a franchise are not given government funds.”

He dismissed the claim that DOE’s renewable energy service contract is a monopoly, noting the 518 commercial solar energy projects and 1,362 renewable energy projects in the country.

“The franchise was not sold, contrary to what government people have been saying. The franchise could not be fully operationalized because the DOE did not issue the implementing rules and did not identify the areas where the franchise can operate—conditions which the franchise law required,” he added.

He also said that Leviste “should be praised, not punished” for his energy initiatives in the country.

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“The sequence of events is impossible to ignore. In late 2025, Leviste publicly exposed corruption and demanded investigations across all levels of government. Immediately thereafter, a steady stream of allegations and “investigations” targeting his projects began to surface,” he added. /mcm