Senator Loren Legarda has reached out to fellow senators for moral support as she faces mounting public scrutiny over a P10.44-billion solar energy controversy while undergoing treatment for a serious lung-related illness, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said Sunday.
Lacson said he had spoken with Legarda twice but that she did not tell him whether she planned to return to the Philippines.
Instead, according to Lacson, Legarda’s appeal was simply for support from her colleagues in the Senate as she deals with both her health concerns and the allegations surrounding her and her son, Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste.
Lacson said he expressed sympathy and wished Legarda well, adding that he hoped she would overcome both her medical problems and the legal and political difficulties confronting her.
Legarda, son submit counter-affidavits
The latest development comes as the Office of the Ombudsman continues its preliminary investigation into plunder and graft complaints involving Legarda and Leviste over alleged irregularities connected to solar energy projects.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla has confirmed that both Legarda and Leviste have submitted their counter-affidavits.
The complaints stem from allegations involving Leviste’s renewable-energy company, Solar Para sa Bayan Corp. (SPBC), and its obligations under a congressional franchise to provide electricity to remote, unserved and underserved areas.
The Department of Energy had earlier filed a separate complaint before the Department of Justice against Leviste and five SPBC officials over alleged violations of the Public Service Act.
The Ombudsman has put the amount involved in the investigation at approximately P10.44 billion.
Health condition becomes part of the controversy
Legarda has been on extended medical leave amid what fellow senators have described as a serious lung-related illness.
Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said earlier this month that Legarda was undergoing significant medical treatment and wanted to return to the Philippines as soon as she completed her medical tests.
Zubiri also appealed for consideration for Legarda while she was receiving treatment, saying her condition was serious.
Senate President Win Gatchalian had previously confirmed that Legarda told him she was suffering from a serious illness, although he declined to discuss the details because of their personal nature.
Lacson likewise said Legarda had previously told him while abroad that she was experiencing a problem with her lungs.
Why her absence has drawn scrutiny
Legarda’s prolonged absence has attracted attention because it coincided with the Ombudsman investigation.
The anti-graft agency previously questioned the senator’s repeated extensions of her medical leave and the overseas travel of both Legarda and her son.
Legarda left the Philippines in early August, with the National Bureau of Investigation saying she traveled to France while Leviste traveled to Hong Kong. Later reports placed the two in Europe, with the Ombudsman saying it understood that they were still in Paris and had also traveled to Switzerland.
The Ombudsman has previously described the circumstances surrounding their overseas stay and extended leave as suspicious.
However, Legarda has maintained that her medical leave was legitimate and has rejected the accusations against her as baseless.
Lacson rejects asylum rumors
Amid speculation surrounding Legarda’s continued stay abroad, Lacson previously dismissed reports that the senator was seeking asylum.
He said Legarda had told him about her lung problem and that he had no reason to doubt that she was dealing with a genuine medical condition.
Fact-checking group Vera Files also reported that claims suggesting Legarda was refusing to return or work until cases involving her son were withdrawn were false.
The senator’s medical condition, therefore, should not be conflated with unverified claims circulating online about her intentions.
Legarda denies wrongdoing
Legarda has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and said the allegations have unfairly damaged a reputation she has built throughout decades in public service.
She has maintained that she had no involvement in the alleged wrongdoing and that no public funds were involved.
More recently, her camp has gone further, describing the investigation as “lawfare” and “political persecution.”
Her spokesman, lawyer Tony La Viña, said Legarda has no corporate role in Solar Para sa Bayan or other Solar Philippines companies and argued that being Leviste’s mother and a senator does not establish that she benefited from or participated in any wrongdoing.
What happens next?
For now, the investigation remains ongoing.
The filing of counter-affidavits means Legarda and Leviste have formally responded to the allegations, but it does not by itself resolve the case.
The Ombudsman will still have to evaluate the complaints, the respondents’ defenses and the available evidence before deciding whether further legal action is warranted.
At the same time, Legarda’s health and continued absence from the Senate remain matters of public interest.
For Lacson, however, the immediate message is one of support for a colleague facing a difficult period.
The bigger questions—when Legarda will return to the Philippines, what the Ombudsman will ultimately decide, and whether the P10.44-billion solar controversy will lead to formal charges—remain unanswered.
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