MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman has started a preliminary investigation into plunder and graft complaints against Sen. Loren Legarda, her son, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, and former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi over alleged irregularities involving solar energy service contracts.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla announced Friday that the complaints had reached the preliminary investigation stage, bringing the cases closer to a possible filing before the Sandiganbayan.
Investigators allege that Legarda, Leviste and Cusi conspired to secure exclusive government rights over the country’s solar energy resources through legislative and regulatory actions.
Remulla described the allegations as involving “ghost electricity,” saying the companies involved had promised to generate solar power but failed to develop the projects.
Leviste, who founded Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings Inc. in 2013, obtained more than 30 government service contracts.
The Ombudsman said the number of contracts created a “virtual monopoly” over solar energy projects. It also said several projects were never developed as promised.
According to the anti-graft agency, terminated contracts resulted in more than P10.44 billion in unpaid financial obligations to the government. Remulla estimated the broader losses at hundreds of billions of pesos.
Remulla also linked Leviste’s contracts to Legarda, who chaired the Senate finance committee when Leviste obtained the contracts in 2019.
Legarda denied the allegations, calling them “false and baseless.” She said she had not received any communication from the Ombudsman regarding the preliminary investigation.
“No public funds were involved,” Legarda said, adding that she was prepared to “bring out the truth.”
The preliminary investigation will determine whether sufficient evidence exists to pursue criminal charges.