{
  "id": 8496364,
  "title": "Serious allegations",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/serious-allegations",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-19T16:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Philippine Star Business",
    "slug": "philippine-star-business",
    "url": "https://www.philstar.com/business/2026/09/20/2557416/serious-allegations"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Ombudsman's investigation into Sen. Loren Legarda and her son, Rep. Leandro Leviste, centers around alleged plunder and corruption involving underdelivered solar energy projects. Authorities claim that the Levistes conspired to secure multiple solar energy contracts with government backing, creating a virtual monopoly by blocking competitors. The investigation found that numerous contracts were awarded to companies within the alleged network, yet many projects remained unfinished. The total unpaid financial obligations to the government exceed P10.44 billion due to these terminated contracts. In January, the DOE canceled 33 renewable energy service contracts of SPPPHI for failure to meet production timelines, imposing billions of pesos in penalties for non-deliveries. SPPPHI, a renewable energy developer, and SPBC, its social enterprise unit, received a congressional franchise in 2019 for constructing and operating distributed energy resources in underserved areas. However, the senator's office denies any wrongdoing, stating that no government funds were used for the solar ventures, and calling the allegations politically motivated. The Levistes accuse the investigation of retaliation for Leandro's anti-corruption stance, but the DOJ asserts that the probe began prior to his advocacy. Early in 2024, DOE disclosed that 21 of 42 service contracts awarded to SPPPHI were being processed for termination due to failure to meet targets. Only 174.41 megawatts of the 10,000 MW committed by SPPPHI and its affiliates had reached commercial operation. Government injury extends beyond financial losses, as terminated contracts could limit the country's renewable energy capacity, potentially failing to meet growing electricity demand. In January, the Energy Regulatory Commission initiated show cause orders against SPBC for alleged violations, including unauthorized operations and imposed electricity rates without prior approval. Former Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza accused Sen. Legarda of offering to secure a P10-million government fund allocation in exchange for support for SPBC's franchise application, claiming SPBC was undercapitalized and acted in bad faith. Government prosecutors must establish these allegations in court, but claiming they are politically motivated does not negate their existence. NGCP, the country's sole transmission service provider, notes that grid alerts are often caused by generation supply deficiencies, with most red and yellow alerts resulting from generation issues rather than transmission failures. As of June 30, 95% of red alerts were due to generation problems, leaving only 3% from transmission issues.",
  "summary": "The Ombudsman’s P10.44-billion plunder and graft investigation against Sen. Loren Legarda and her son, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, involving underdelivered solar energy projects is underway.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}