MANILA, Philippines — An official of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed on Friday that Sen. Loren Legarda and son, Rep. Leandro Leviste have left the country.
Immigration Spokesman Dana Sandoval said Legarda and Leviste left in separate flights on the same day of Aug. 2, 2026.
”Both had no derogatory records at the time of departure,” she said.
Mother and son have been linked to allegedly questionable multibillion-peso solar projects,for which they are facing graft and plunder complaints.
Clearance not needed
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said he has no information regarding reports that Legarda had left the country, but added that a senator did not need travel authority from the Senate if the trip was personal.
Gatchalian made the statement after reports surfaced claiming that National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag disclosed that Legarda and her son had departed for Hong Kong.
"I don't have any information about her foreign trip. We haven't talked about her trip yet. If it's a personal trip, there's no need for travel authority from the Senate," Gatchalian said.
Meanwhile, Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr. confirmed that the Office of Senator Legarda had informed the Senate Secretariat that the lawmaker would be on medical leave.
Bantug said the senator's chief of staff sent a letter on Aug. 3 advising the Office of the Secretary that "Senator Loren Legarda will be on medical leave from 3 to 5 August 2026."
