Leviste files libel raps against Palace spox Castro

Batangas Representative Leandro Leviste on Friday filed a libel case against Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro. 

Leviste filed a civil case with the Balayan Regional Trial Court seeking P110 million in damages.

In an interview with Super Radyo dzBB earlier in the day, Leviste said he is on his way to Batangas to lodge the complaint.

"Ako po ay on the way sa Batangas ngayon dahil magsasampa po ako ng kasong libel kay PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro for libelous statements dahil hindi ko po binenta ang kumpanya na may prangkisa na sinabi niya multiple times na binenta ko ang prangkisa," he said.

(I am on my way to Batangas because I am filing a libel complaint against PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro for libelous statements because I did not sell my company which has a franchise, something she has accused me multiple times.)

“Hindi ko po alam bakit sobrang interested si PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro sa akin pagkatapos kong inilabas ang Cabral files. Pero ang sinasabi ko lang po, gabi-gabi, minsan, dalawang episode sa isang gabi, gumagawa ng vlog si PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro tungkol sa akin,” Leviste added.

(I don’t know why she is so invested in me after I released the [files of late Public Works and Highways undersecretary Catalina Cabral]. Every night, sometimes two episodes a night, the vlog of Castro is all about me.)

Leviste said Castro should focus on finding solutions on the country’s ills such as the anomalous flood control projects and bringing down the cost of electricity rather than faulting him for something he did not do.

“Nalulungkot ako na imbes na ayusin natin ang mga problema ng bansa, nalilihis po ang usapan at dahil dito, naapektuhan rin ang mga reputasyon ng ibang mga tao at nade-discourage din po ang investment. Kaya po ako magsasampan ng kaso kay Claire Castro ngayong umaga,” he said.

(I am sad that instead of solving the flood control problem and bringing down electricity cost,  the issue is being diverted. People’s reputation are being affected, discouraging investors.)

“Hindi naman po sa gusto ko siyang masaktan, pero gusto ko lang pong patunayan na hindi totoo ang sinabi ni Usec Claire Castro,” he added.

(I don’t want to hurt her but I want to prove that what she said were false.)

Leviste also said in the same interview that Solar Philippines is a holding company for SP New Energy Corporation (SPNEC) and Solar Para sa Bayan Corporation, all of which are firms which he founded.

On Tuesday, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin announced that Solar Philippines was fined P24 billion.

This follows the termination of over 11,000 megawatts worth of contracts in the past two years for its failure to deliver on its production commitments of nearly 12 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity. 

Leviste, however, argued that DOE’s fine was imposed to SPNEC, not Solar Philippines.

He also said that Solar Para sa Bayan Corporation, which was granted a congressional franchise to operate solar power plants in 2019, already stopped operations in 2022 since most of its projects were not issued permits under various circumstances.

He added the firm faced challenges from electric cooperatives.

It may be recalled that Leviste sold P22.259 billion worth of SPNEC shares to Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGEN)’s renewable energy subsidiary, MGEN Renewables, from 2023 to 2025.

Given these circumstances, Leviste said he did not violate any law.

“Wala akong binentang prangkisa dahil 'yung binenta ko sa Meralco ay ibang kumpanya. At yun po ‘yung may pinag-uusapang multa [galing sa Department of Energy],” Leviste said.

(I did not sell any company with a franchise. What I sold to Meralco is a different company, and that is the firm being fined.)

“Kaya na-surprise ako na una, ‘yung sinabi is binenta kong prangkisa. Susunod, sinabi naman na may multa. ‘Yung question on the franchise, wala akong kumpanyang binenta na may prangkisa,” Leviste added.

(I was really surprised when they were saying I sold the franchise, and then they said it is being fined. On the franchise, I did not sell any company with a franchise.) 

In response to Leviste, Castro said that while she has not yet received a copy of the complaint, the filing itself is a way to stop her from discussing the issue about the Solar Philippines. 

''Ang pagsasampa ng kasong ito ang tunay na paraan para ako ay matigil sa aking pagsasalita at pagtalakay sa mga issue,'' Castro said in a statement.

(The filing of this case is a way to stop me from discussing and talking about the issue.)

She also said Leviste had admitted in an interview that the source of the information about selling the company was Ombudsman Jesus Crispin ''Boying'' Remulla.

''Inamin ni Cong. Leviste sa isang interview na ang source ng diumano'y pagbebenta ng company na may franchise ay galing kay Ombudsman Remulla. Pero hindi niya sasampahan ng kaso ang Ombudsman dahil sa ginagalang niya ito at kaibigan ng nanay niya,'' she said.

(Cong. Leviste admitted in an interview that the source of information about selling the company with franchise was Ombudsman Remulla. But he will not file cases against the Ombudsman because he respects him and Remulla was a friend of his mother.)

''Kakasuhan ba niya ako dahil sa hindi ako kaibigan ng nanay niya at hindi niya ako ginagalang? Can we say that the statements of the Ombudsman are with basis and not maligning while my statements sourced from the Ombudsman are nothing but libelous?'' she added.

(Is he filing a case against me because I'm not a friend of his mother and he doesn't respect me?)

Castro also said it would be better if the lawmaker would focus on the issues presented by the Department of Energy against his firm.

On Thursday, Remulla said that the Leviste-founded Solar Philippines and SPNEC are under probe for possibly skirting the law in its operations in the country. 

“Kung hindi mo nga nabenta iyong isa, pero gagawa ka naman ng subsidiary, baka naman pinaiikutan mo na iyong batas. It should be common sense to all of us that such situation should not happen. In any case, we are studying it,” Remulla said in a Thursday press conference.

(If you were not able to sell the mother company and you end up putting up a subsidiary [to sell], maybe you are skirting the law.)

GMA News Online reached out to Castro for comment and will publish it once available. —with a report from Tina Panganiban-Perez and Anna Felicia Bajo/AOL, GMA Integrated News