SEN. Loren Legarda has asked for another extension of her medical leave abroad, Senate Secretary Renato Bantug confirmed Monday.
Bantug said Legarda’s office sent notice of her leave from the plenary sessions and the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte from Aug. 24 to Sept. 2.
"Office of Sen. Legarda sent notice today that the senator shall be on medical leave Aug 24–26 and Sep 1–2," he said.
The senator filed medical leave with the Senate secretariat from Aug. 3 to 5 and again from Aug. 11 to 12 and Aug. 17 to 19.
Her absence coincides with a preliminary investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman into non-bailable plunder and graft complaints against her and her son, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste.
Legarda was accused by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla of using her post to secure exclusive solar power franchises for Leviste that allegedly resulted in multibillion-peso “ghost electricity” losses.
The senator denied the allegations, describing them as “utterly false and baseless.”
