TIMELINE: Leviste-founded Solar Philippines faces P24B in penalties

The Department of Energy (DOE) recently imposed around P24 billion in penalties on Solar Philippines, the company founded by Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste, after the termination of over 11,000 megawatts of contracts in the past two years due to the company’s failure to deliver on its production commitments.

READ: Who is Leandro Leviste?

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the penalties faced by Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings Inc. include performance funds, contractual obligations or the supposed cost of the project, financial obligations or the training and development fund, and other obligations in the contract.

Below is the timeline of events surrounding Leviste’s Solar Philippines, based on GMA News Online articles and data from GMA Integrated News Research.

2013 

Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings Inc. (Solar Philippines) was established.

2014 

Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings Inc. was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

2016

Solar Philippines’ Calatagan Solar Farm began its operations in Barangays Paraiso and Biga in Calatagan, Batangas. Its annual generation is approximately 95 gigawatt per hour (GWH).

November 23, 2016

SP New Energy Corporation (SPNEC), formerly Solar Philippines Nueva Ecija Corporation, was incorporated and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a renewable energy power generation company. It is a subsidiary of Solar Philippines.

2019

Congress granted Solar Para sa Bayan Corporation a 25-year franchise to construct, install, establish, operate, and maintain distributed energy resources and microgrids in remote areas in selected provinces in the Philippines via Republic Act No. 11357.

June 2020

The first phase of the Solar Philippine Tarlac Farm was completed, with a total capacity of 100 megawatts (MW).

May 15, 2023

SPNEC acquired the first batch of projects from Solar Philippines, its parent company, marking the start of its commercial operations.

October 10, 2024

The DOE announced that it will discontinue 21 of the 42 service contracts it awarded to Solar Philippines following the company’s alleged failure to deliver its energy commitments. 

During hearings on the DOE’s budget, then Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said only 174.41 megawatts, or 2%, has been completed and started commercial operations of the 10,000 megawatts committed by Solar Philippines and its affiliates.

December 31, 2024

As of this date, SPNEC is 31.35% owned by MGen Renewable Energy, Inc., 37.23% owned by Solar Philippines Project Holdings, and 3.19% owned by Metro Pacific Investments Corporation.

June 25, 2025

SPNEC announced that Leviste entered into agreements to divest most of his shares in SPNEC prior to his assumption of office as Batangas lawmaker. In 2023, Leviste sold 1.84 billion SPNEC shares to public shareholders for P2.23 billion in 2023.

October 27, 2025

Leviste completed the sale of his SPNEC stake to Meralco PowerGen Corporation (MGEN) after selling another 10.83 billion shares for a total consideration of P13.76 billion. This brought Leviste’s total divestments to 14.61 billion shares for over P18.26 billion.

Leviste sold the shares through a block sale on the PSE.

January 10, 2026

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said Leviste is being investigated for allegedly selling Solar Para sa Bayan Corporation’s (SPSBC) franchise to MGEN.

January 11, 2026

MGEN denied buying shares from SPSBC and said it invested in SPNEC, a separate entity and company also founded by Leviste.

January 12, 2026

The House Committee on Legislative Franchises said it is planning to investigate the alleged sale of shares in Leviste’s solar power business without congressional approval if a resolution is filed.

January 14, 2026

Garin revealed that almost 11,000 MW of contracts granted to Solar Philippines were canceled in 2024 and 2025 because of non-compliance with contractual terms.

She said the DOE is imposing P24 billion in penalties and obligations from Solar Philippines.

The DOE also referred the case of Leviste’s Solar Philippines to the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) for appropriate legal action.

Garin added that the sanctions imposed on Leviste’s firm were not because of the so-called Cabral files, of which alleged portions were posted by Leviste amid the flood control mess. — JMA, GMA Integrated News