Reports of Legarda seeking asylum are fake news, says Lacson

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Saturday dismissed reports that Sen. Loren Legarda, who is on medical leave, is seeking asylum, describing the claims as fake news.

“Wala, fake news ata ‘yon, hindi yan totoo. Wala pa naman syang kaso, kasi wala pa ngang, I don’t think mayroon preliminary investigation,” he said answering a question regarding Legarda during an interview on DWIZ radio.

(I think that’s fake news, it’s not true. There is no case against her yet, because—well, I don’t think there’s even a preliminary investigation.)

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READ: Legarda’s extended medical leave now ‘suspicious’ – Ombudsman

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Legarda left the country with her son, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, on Aug. 2 via Hong Kong, with a final destination to France. She has been on medical leave since Aug. 3 and has asked for an extension until Aug. 19.

Lacson shared that Legarda has told him while abroad that she has a problem with her lungs that requires medical attention. 

“Noong nasa labas tumawag siya sa akin minsan, sinabi niya lang na may problema raw ang kaniyang lungs. I can only sympathize with her kasi medically talagang… at chineck ko rin sa kasamahan ko sa majority totoo nga daw na meron syang dinadaramdam,” he disclosed.

(She called me once while she was abroad and mentioned that she was having lung problems. I can only sympathize with her because, medically speaking—and I even verified this with a colleague in the majority—it is true that she is suffering from an ailment.)

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READ: Legarda still on medical leave until Aug. 19, says Senate secretariat

Legarda, along with her son Leviste and former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, are facing a preliminary investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman for graft and plunder over the alleged P10 billion ghost solar projects.

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During the radio interview, Lacson also expressed his dismay and sadness over Legarda’s sudden shift during the May 2026 Senate leadership coup. The two had been part of the Senate majority bloc under former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.

“Nalulungkot kami nina Tito Sen kasi matagal kami magkakasama, kami yung mythical five, ‘yun tawag namin samin, Sen. Risa, Sen. Win, kaming tatlo, Tito Sen, ako, saka sya. Ang tagal na namin magkasama. Kaya nung iniwan kami di mo maaalis na paano nangyari yun?” he expressed.

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(Tito Sen and I feel sad because we’ve been together for a long time—we call ourselves the “Mythical Five”: Sen. Risa, Sen. Win, and the three of us—Tito Sen, myself, and her. We’ve been together for so long. So, when we were left behind, it was natural to wonder, “How did this happen?) /jpv