Batangast 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste – Photo courtesy from Leandro Legarda Leviste/Facebook.
Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste is set to initiate a cyberlibel case against Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro over statements she made online about his renewable energy business.
The complaint is scheduled to be filed before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Balayan, Batangas, where the lawmaker represents the first district.
Leviste said the remarks aired in Castro’s vlogs contained misleading claims about the condition and ownership of his solar power ventures.
In a radio interview, he rejected allegations that he had disposed of his solar franchise, stressing that his company remains the holder of a congressional franchise for off-grid solar projects.
He said he found the repeated references to him unfair and questioned why he was being singled out in the online commentaries.
The dispute follows the Department of Energy’s (DOE) decision to impose a multibillion-peso penalty on a power firm linked to Leviste for failure to meet energy delivery commitments under government contracts.
Leviste said the legal action is intended to address what he described as damaging statements, adding that he will pursue remedies available under the law.