The P110-million civil libel complaint filed by Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste was described by Palace spokesperson Undersecretary Claire Castro as an attempt to silence her from speaking on public issues.

“Ang pagsasampa ng kasong ito ang tunay na paraan para ako ay matigil sa aking pagsasalita at pagtalakay sa mga issue,” Castro said hours after Leviste filed the complaint before the Balayan Regional Trial Court on Friday.

The case stemmed from Castro’s remarks earlier this week, in which she criticized Leviste for allegedly selling the franchise of his company multiple times.

Leviste, however, denied the claim, asserting that the company he sold did not have a franchise. He said he had already divested his shares in SP New Energy Corp. (SPNEC) before assuming office in the 20th Congress.

SPNEC is a separate corporate entity from Solar Para sa Bayan, which secured a 25-year franchise in 2019.

“Ito ngayon ang tanong: Sino ang tunay na nasa likod ng pagsasampa ng kaso laban sa ’kin? Sino ang nais na mabusalan ang aking bibig? Sino ang lubos na makikinabang dito?” Castro asked.

Castro said she has yet to receive a copy of the complaint filed by Leviste.

Leviste’s admission

According to Castro, it was Leviste himself who admitted in an interview that he had already sold the company.

“Pero ang response ko sa ngayon ay ayon lamang muna sa kanyang interview. Inamin ni Cong. Leviste sa isang interview na ang source ng di umano'y pagbebenta ng company na may franchise ay galing kay Ombudsman (Boying) Remulla. Pero hindi niya sasampahan ng kaso ang Ombudsman dahil sa ginagalang niya ito at kaibigan ng nanay niya,” she said.

Castro questioned why Leviste did not file a similar case against Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla.

“Kakasuhan ba niya ako dahil sa hindi ako kaibigan ng nanay niya at hindi niya ako ginagalang? Can we say that the statements of the Ombudsman are with basis and not maligning, while my statements sourced from the Ombudsman are nothing but libelous?” she said.

In a press conference following the filing of the complaint, Leviste admitted that Remulla and Energy Secretary Sharon Garin are friends of his mother, Sen. Loren Legarda.

“Maliban diyan, inamin ni Cong. Leviste is no longer the owner of Solar Para sa Bayan (which holds the franchise) because he has already divested his shares. He, himself, is the source,” Castro said.

In a radio interview on 10 January, Ombudsman Remulla criticized Leviste for allegedly selling Solar Philippines to businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan after securing a franchise to establish solar microgrids in Nueva Ecija during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Kasi dapat yun yung franchise ‘di dapat ninenegosyo yun e. Batang-bata binebenta mo yung franchise, wala ka bang kahihiyan? Anong klaseng Pilipino yan?” Remulla said.