The Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday said it had become “suspicious” of the continued overseas travel of Senator Loren Legarda and Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste amid its ongoing investigation into plunder and graft allegations against the two lawmakers who are mother and son.

Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said the office received information that Legarda and Leviste had obtained lengthy travel authorities from their respective legislative chambers to be out of the country.

“For Leviste, we were able to obtain a travel authority wherein he asked for two months’ leave from 26 July to 24 September. He listed several countries he intended to visit,” Clavano said in a press conference.

“On the other hand, Senator Legarda is on the, I believe, third or fourth extension of her travel authority for medical reasons,” he added.

Clavano said the Ombudsman found the lawmakers’ continued travel peculiar given that they have yet to address the allegations against them.

“So to us, of course, we want to err on the cautious side of things. We need to flag it because they have an ongoing case here at the Office of the Ombudsman,” he said.

Possible asylum

Asked if Legarda and Leviste might follow the example of former Representative Zaldy Co and seek political asylum abroad, Clavano said they would have to claim that they were being politically persecuted here.

His remarks came amid reports that Legarda and Leviste were in France.

“That’s the only reason that Legarda and Leviste may have in France — to seek asylum, he said.

Solar energy problems

As for the mother and son’s problems in the Philippines, “everybody sees the facts, everybody understands the problem when it comes to ghost electricity,” Clavano said.

He accused the two of securing a “virtual monopoly” over allocated megawatts that could be developed through their solar farms but failing to deliver the promised electricity.

“They garnered a virtual monopoly of the allocated amount of megawatts allowed to be farmed through the solar farm, and yet they did nothing. The Filipino public have felt the effects of the actions that they did,” he said.

Clavano said the alleged failure of Leviste and Legarda to deliver energy through their solar farms contributed to high electricity prices.

“It was as if it was a paper company. So we were not able to meet the goals that were set out in terms of electricity and it affected our prices immensely,” he said.

The case against Legarda and Leviste stemmed from solar power companies linked to Leviste that secured exclusive government rights to develop national solar energy resources.

The unfinished contracts were reportedly valued at more than P10.44 billion.

Former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi was also named in the complaint submitted to the Ombudsman for preliminary investigation.

Baseless charges

Meanwhile, Legarda has maintained that the allegations were baseless, arguing that no public funds were directly involved.

In a statement earlier issued by her office, she said the accusations were an attempt to “taint” her integrity as a public official, noting that she began her political career in 1998.

“We have not received any communication from the Office of the Ombudsman regarding these allegations,” she said.

The senator also questioned the timing and nature of the allegations, given her role as a senator-judge in the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

“We remain confident that once the facts are laid bare, we will be vindicated and our names cleared,” Legarda said.

While Legarda has denied the allegations, Leviste has yet to issue a statement. DAILY TRIBUNE has reached out to Leviste for comment.