SENATOR Loren Legarda has “appealed” for moral support from her fellow lawmakers amid the accusations being hurled against her over alleged irregularities related to the controversial P10-billion solar energy project linked to her son, Batangas Representative Leandro Leviste.
In a radio interview on Sunday, September 13, 2026, Senator Panfilo Lacson said he talked with Legarda over the phone twice already amid his trip abroad, but she made no mention of her return to the Philippines.
“Ang appeal niya sa amin, bilang kasamahan sa Senado, parang humingi lang siya ng moral support,” Lacson said.
(Her appeal to us, as her fellow senators, was simply to ask for moral support.)
“Yung kinalalagyan niya sa ngayon. Siyempre na-ba-bash, lahat. Pinapaliwanag niya na meron siya dinaramdam. ‘Yun yung naging tono ng aming usapan. Siyempre, nag-express ako ng moral support, ‘I wish you well.’ Sana malampasan niya ‘yung 'di lang ‘yung kanyang health issues pati ‘yung kinakaharap niyang problema,” Lacson added.
(Given the situation she is in right now, of course, she’s being bashed by everyone. She explained that she is dealing with something. That was the tone of our conversation. Of course, I expressed my moral support and said, ‘I wish you well.’ I hope she can overcome not only her health issues but also the problems she is facing.)
Legarda and Leviste left for Hong Kong on separate flights on August 2.
They are believed to be currently in France.
Legarda filed a medical leave from August 3 to 5, which she later extended multiple times.
Leviste obtained travel authority for different countries from July 26 to September 24.
On July 31, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said Legarda, Leviste and former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi will undergo a preliminary investigation over complaints for plunder, graft and conflict of interest stemming from a controversial P10-billion solar energy project.
The complaints stemmed from the alleged grant of exclusive rights over solar energy service contracts, which Remulla claimed to have caused significant losses to the government and the public.
Remulla said Leviste’s project failed to deliver its intended commitments despite securing exclusive contracts covering large areas for solar energy development, claiming the arrangement prevented other investors from participating in the sector.
He said Legarda may have used her influence while serving as chairperson of the Senate finance committee to help her son secure an exclusive franchise when he was still in his early 20s.
Leviste, founder of renewable energy firm Solar Philippines, has long been one of the country's most prominent advocates of large-scale solar power development.
His company pursued numerous solar projects nationwide through solar energy service contracts and sought to accelerate the country's transition to renewable energy.
Leviste is also being investigated over the alleged “honeytrap” scheme, which allegedly targeted several Cabinet officials. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)