Arrest warrant out for Leandro Leviste over alleged Public Service Act violation
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 2:40 p.m.) — A Makati City court has issued a warrant of arrest against Rep. Leandro Leviste (Batangas 1st District) over alleged violations of the Public Service Act.
According to a copy of the warrant of arrest sent to reporters by the National Bureau of Investigation, the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 235 issued the warrant on October 5.
“You are hereby commanded to arrest LEANDRO ANTONIO L. LEVISTE, who is/are said to be found in/at N/A, PARAISO, CALATAGAN, BATANGAS, CALABARZON or elsewhere, and who has/have been charged before me with the offense of PUBLIC SERVICE ACT SECTION 25 OF COMMONWEALTH ACT NO. 146, AS AMENDED BY RA NO. 11659) and bring him/her/them forthwith before me to be dealt with according to law,” a portion of the warrant of arrest read.
The Makati court has set Leviste’s bail at P72,000.
According to Department of Justice spokesperson Polo Martinez, the charges against Leviste and three others were filed on September 29 before the Makati City RTC.
Aside from Leviste, Hazel Iris Lafuente Buencamino and Irma Flaminiano were also implicated in the charges as incorporators and corporate officers of Solar Para Sa Bayan Corp. for allegedly violating Section 25 of the Public Service Act.
Martinez said that the charges arose from a finding of prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction that the corporation willfully neglected and intentionally failed to meet its legislative franchise obligations.
This is part of the graft and plunder case being investigated by the Office of the Ombudsman against Leviste and his mother, Sen. Loren Legarda, over alleged irregularities involving solar energy projects and service contracts linked to Leviste’s companies.
Both Legarda and Leviste are said to be in France. According to lawyer Tony La Viña, Legarda’s spokesperson, she is on medical leave due to a lung illness.
La Viña also said that Legarda is undergoing treatment in France and that Leviste has been taking care of her.
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