Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste said he has taken legal action after a series of online accusations, filing a cyber libel complaint against Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro, whom he identified as the source of the claims.
Speaking in a video shared on social media, Leviste dismissed allegations that he benefited from public money, saying he has never received government funds and has no so-called ghost projects. He maintained that business activities associated with his firms involve permits for privately financed investments, carried out on land owned by private entities and funded through his own resources.
Addressing claims of a supposed ₱24-billion penalty linked to Solar Philippines, Leviste said the document being circulated was addressed to SP New Energy Corporation (SPNEC), a company he said he had already sold to Meralco. He added that no formal complaint has been filed by SPNEC and that the issue did not involve the use of state funds. The transaction, he noted, had previously been cited in discussions about the country’s expanding renewable energy sector.
He also disputed assertions that he profited from the sale of a legislative franchise, saying the company transferred to Meralco did not hold one, while the firm that does possess a franchise was never sold.
Leviste further challenged statements claiming his projects produced only minimal output, pointing instead to a 3,500-megawatt renewable energy development whose groundbreaking was led by Ferdinand Marcos Jr.. He described the project as among the country’s largest renewable initiatives and one of the biggest foreign investments in 2025, citing its role in strengthening national energy security.
He said the allegations were designed to distract the public from more urgent national concerns. “Malinaw na ang mga isyung ito ay panglilihis sa mga tunay na isyu,” Leviste said.
