Legarda, son probe vs solar firm a 'waste of prosecution resources' – spokesperson

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Loren Legarda’s camp said on Saturday that the investigations against her and her son, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, over the latter’s solar power companies, were a “waste of prosecution resources”. “Ako, I see it as a waste of prosecution resources,” Lawyer Tony La Viña, Legarda’s spokesperson, said when asked in a DWIZ interview. A plunder and graft complaint against the two are under preliminary investigation at the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with P10.44-billion alleged irregularities involving Solar Para sa Bayan (SPBC) and Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings Inc., owned by Leviste while he was still a private citizen. This also stems from the more than 30 service contracts in the government that Leviste won in 2013, which the Ombudsman said created a “monopoly” of solar energy projects. La Viña maintained that “no government money used, no government money was stolen,” as he previously explained that service contracts and franchises acquired by Leviste are not allotted government funds and only used private funds. He further said that the fines of failed service contracts were paid by Leviste. “Walang so-called 24 billion or 10 billion. Not a single document asking him to pay for that,” he added. The spokesman argued that Legarda did not help her son secure a solar franchise when she was Senate Committee on Finance as the votes were unanimous. “Parang it’s absurd, ‘di ba, na just because you’re a senator and you have a son, automatically, ‘di ba, ginamit mo yung power mo para makuha ng anak niya yung mga franchisees or mga contracts,” he expressed. He, however, admitted that 90% of Leviste’s renewable energy initiatives failed, while only 10% were delivered. But he noted that the “most successful renewable energy project” of the administration was among the solon’s projects. “That’s the nature of the business, ang sinasabi ko. Si Leandro is only one of several players in the business. But again, what Senator Legarda has nothing to do with that,” he maintained. /gsg