The Department of Energy has filed an estafa complaint against Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste and two company officers for allegedly using deceit and misrepresentation to secure renewable energy awards they never intended to develop.

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin filed the supplemental complaint against Leviste, Hazel Iris Lafuente and Irma Flaminiano before the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office.

The DOE alleged that the respondents sought to “land-bank” the solar and wind energy projects for eventual transfer or sale.

The department previously filed a complaint against Leviste for alleged violations of the Public Service Act over his company’s failure to provide electricity to remote and underserved communities seven years after receiving a legislative franchise.

Garin said documents and other information later obtained by the department showed alleged deceit and fraudulent representations by the three respondents, causing injury to the government.

Leviste, Lafuente and Flaminiano are officers of companies under the Solar Philippines network.

The DOE alleged that they submitted documents representing the companies as eligible and qualified to participate in the Green Energy Auction Program, which awards long-term power supply contracts to renewable energy developers.

Leviste also signed performance bonds that the government could claim if the developers failed to meet their obligations.

Based on the submissions, the DOE awarded the companies 1,350 megawatts of solar capacity and 30 MW of wind capacity.

The department later found that the companies were allegedly not financially qualified when they registered for the auction.

Garin said Solar Philippines Commercial Rooftop Projects Inc. and Solar Philippines Visayas Corp. had negative equity when they registered for the program.

She added that SP New Energy Corp.’s equity was far below the 30 percent contribution typically required to finance utility-scale solar projects of comparable size.

The respondents allegedly did not disclose the financial deficiencies to the department.

Garin said the companies failed to deliver any of their committed capacity by 25 December 2025. She also alleged that they repeatedly missed their work programs, allowed performance security to lapse and assigned, restructured or sold renewable energy rights.

“Taken together, this conduct shows what Respondents intended from the start. They never meant to build. They obtained these state-conferred rights by deceit and land-banked them—holding public concessions undeveloped until they could be assigned, restructured, or sold,” Garin said.

She accused Leviste’s group of obtaining state privileges through deceit and converting public energy rights into private gain at the expense of the government, qualified bidders and electricity consumers.

Garin said the energy awards were valuable and limited state concessions. Their alleged misuse impaired the government’s regulatory authority and deprived consumers of the promised electricity supply, she added.

She also alleged that the undelivered capacity pushed up electricity clearing prices and reserve procurement costs, passing additional expenses on to consumers.