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Brix Lelis - The Philippine Star
May 8, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Energy Secretary Sharon Garin has elevated to the Department of Justice (DOJ) a complaint against Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste over alleged violations tied to his solar company, which was granted a legislative franchise in 2019.
In an eight-page complaint dated May 6, Garin alleged that Leviste and several directors of Solar Para Sa Bayan Corp. (SPBC) violated the Public Service Act due to the company’s failure to fulfill its obligations under the franchise.
Nearly seven years on, she said that the SPBC has not operated continuously and has yet to deliver electricity to customers in remote, unserved or underserved areas.
The energy chief also pointed out that the company “had no single project or operation.”
“Worse, during these years, SPBC continuously established and provided renewable energy for profit through several groups of companies under the umbrella of Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings Inc. (SPPPHI), a corporation that is 100-percent owned by respondent Leviste,” Garin said.
‘Super weak’
Leviste, meanwhile, told The STAR yesterday that the complaint was “super duper weak” and that he had been informed that Executive Secretary Ralph Recto allegedly ordered Garin to file it.
Leviste, who has yet to receive an official copy of the complaint, said the timing was “noticeable,” as it came after he called for an investigation into alleged ties between Recto and CWS Party-list Rep. Edwin Gardiola.
He has accused Recto of colluding with Gardiola in an alleged corruption scheme in the Department of Public Works and Highways.
“I will continue this even if I am told that Recto is allegedly the one instructing Garin,” the Batangas lawmaker said. “The investigation into Recto’s connection to Gardiola should not end.”
“I would also like to point out: this sets a precedent for future administrations to file nuisance complaints against officers and directors of public utilities in the Philippines, including ABS-CBN, GMA, TV5 and The Philippine STAR,” he added.
Recto denied any involvement in the Department of Energy (DOE) complaint.
“Not true. That’s all within the purview of the DOE and the DOJ,” the executive secretary told The STAR.
Garin has yet to respond to The STAR’s request for comment.
Through Republic Act 11357, signed by then-president Rodrigo Duterte, SPBC was awarded a non-exclusive franchise to build, install, operate and maintain distributed energy resources and microgrids in remote areas.
Leviste earlier admitted that the company was “defunct” and “stopped operating many years ago” and that he had already divested his stake before entering politics.
Yet, Section 18 of the franchise prohibits the grantee from transferring its controlling interest to any person, company or entity without prior approval of Congress.
According to Garin, SPBC’s “willful neglect and failure” to comply with its franchise obligations, along with SPPPHI’s disregard of its commitments, are “badges of fraud that defeat public convenience and warrant the piercing of the corporate veil, thereby holding the respondents personally liable.”
Under Section 25 of the Public Service Act, any entity found to have violated the law may be penalized with a fine of up to P2 million, imprisonment of six years and one day to twelve years, or both.
Previously, the Energy Regulatory Commission issued a show cause order against SPBC over alleged violations, including operating without the required permits and charging unapproved power rates.
Fake news
Lawmakers from five other districts of Batangas have condemned the allegations made by Leviste, whom they dubbed as a “peddler of fake news,” against Recto and his wife, Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto.
Reps. Ryan Santos Recto (6th District), Gerville Luistro (2nd District), King George Collantes (3rd District), Amado Carlos Bolilia (4th District) and Beverly Rose Dimacuha (5th District) filed House Resolution 994 where they described the claims of Leviste as “baseless, malicious, and irresponsible.”
In a privilege speech, Leviste alleged there was a transactional relationship between the executive secretary and Gardiola. He also went off-tangent and accused his fellow legislators of massive corruption and involvement in vote buying.
In their resolution, the Batangas lawmakers said that Leviste’s claims were without any “competent, verifiable, or documentary evidence.”
Leviste earned the ire of his colleagues – both from the administration and the opposition – over his delivered speech, with House members denouncing his sweeping claim that all lawmakers had been involved in vote buying.
The House later voted to strike out portions of Leviste’s privilege speech “that cannot be supported by evidence and documents.”
In response, Leviste noted how the resolution did not mention his allegations against Gardiola. He said that his remarks were not merely based on his words, citing pictures he supposedly posted of Gardiola and Recto together, including those of them attending a meeting with the mayors of Batangas and a yacht in Punta Fuego, Nasugbu.– Daphne Galvez
