Sen. Loren Legarda intends to come home to the Philippines as soon as her medical evaluations abroad are finished, according to Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who addressed swirling questions about whether the veteran lawmaker might stay overseas or pursue political asylum.
Speaking in a radio interview Saturday, Lacson traced Legarda’s extended time away from the Senate to a diagnosed lung condition. He said she reached out to him personally before departing, telling him that physicians had flagged a problem with her lungs.
The senator described their conversation as an emotional one, recalling that Legarda grew tearful while talking about the preliminary probe the Office of the Ombudsman has opened. “Importante yung health mo,” Lacson said he told her.
That inquiry, launched by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, examines claims that Legarda and her son, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, worked to obtain exclusive franchises and contracts for solar ventures that reportedly never came to fruition. Legarda has rejected any accusation of misconduct.
Lacson made clear he found no basis to doubt her reasons for seeking treatment outside the country, saying their talk convinced him the health matter was real. His assessment stands apart from that of Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano, who had earlier characterized the timing of Legarda’s leave as suspicious.
Pressed on whether he saw cause for concern given the ongoing investigation, Lacson said he expressed hope that the results would come back favorably and that his colleague’s condition would improve as her testing continues.
