Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s spokesperson, was slapped with a P110-million libel suit over her remarks about a solar energy company founded by Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste.

Leviste tagged as “libelous” Castro’s supposed claim that he sold a company that held a government franchise. Leviste asserted that the company he sold had no franchise.

“I did not sell the franchise; what I sold was the company that had no franchise,” Leviste told reporters.

He said he was not interested in retaliating against Castro, but cited the need to defend his reputation after several videos of Castro referencing him had circulated online.

Leviste said he divested his shares in SP New Energy Corp. (SPNEC) before assuming office during the 20th Congress. SPNEC is a separate and distinct corporate entity from Solar Para sa Bayan which secured a fresh 25-year franchise in 2019.

In a statement, Castro said she had not received a copy of Leviste’s complaint, adding that the lawmaker appeared to be singling her out.

“Cong. Leviste admitted in an interview that the source of the alleged sale of a company with a franchise was Ombudsman Remulla. But he did not file a case against the Ombudsman because he respects him; he is a friend of his mother,” Castro said.

Liability, accountability

Leviste’s lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, said Castro’s claim was part of a “targeted attack” against his client, who had criticized the government’s infrastructure budget.

“This is not a mere exercise of freedom of expression. This is a targeted attack against Cong. Leviste for being a critic of the government,” Topacio said.

“This is under the Civil Code, wherein the principle is that if you have injured someone, you are liable for damages. We are not seeking to have Usec. Claire Castro in custody, but we want her held accountable. First of all, because in our opinion she committed a wrongdoing, and second, to vindicate the good name and reputation of my client, which she damaged with malice,” Topacio said.

Solar contracts canceled

Earlier, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said Solar Philippines failed to produce the power it committed to deliver within the agreed timeline. This prompted the agency to cancel several contracts with the firm and to impose a P24-billion penalty.

On the other hand, Leviste claimed on Wednesday that the company he founded “built” the “highest” renewable energy capacity in the country.

His statement did not directly address Garin’s claim, but the lawmaker said he would respond to the statement issued by the government agencies “at the proper forum.”

Castro painted Leviste’s complaint as an effort to silence her.

“The filing of this case is the real way to silence me and stop me from speaking out and discussing the issues,” Castro said, after Leviste filed the complaint at the Balayan Regional Trial Court on Friday.

Castro earlier criticized Leviste for supposedly selling the Solar ng Bayan franchise multiple times. According to Castro, Leviste admitted to selling off the company.

“But for now, my response was based solely on his interview. Congressman Leviste admitted that the source of the sale of the company’s franchise came from Ombudsman Remulla. However, he said he will not file a case against the Ombudsman because he respects him and because he is a friend of his mother,” she said.

“Will he file a case against me just because I am not his mother’s friend and he does not respect me? Can we say that the statements of the Ombudsman have basis and are not maligning, while my statements — sourced from the Ombudsman — are nothing but libelous?” she asked.

In a radio interview on 10 January, Remulla criticized Leviste for selling Solar Philippines to telco tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan after securing a franchise to install solar microgrids in Nueva Ecija during President Rodrigo Duterte’s term.

“Because that franchise should not be treated as a business. You’re selling the franchise at such a young age — do you have no shame? What kind of Filipino is that?” Remulla had said.