MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Loren Legarda's spokesman insisted that there is no criminal basis for the cases being raised against the senator and her son, Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste, amid investigations into the latter’s solar panel company.
In an interview with One News, lawyer Tony La Viña said he decided to take on the cases on principle, arguing that the law should not be used as a political weapon to force individuals into taking political positions favored by those in power.
“The one thing I hate the most is weaponization of the law,” La Viña said, noting that he had seen what he described as similar practices under the administrations of former presidents Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Benigno Aquino III and Rodrigo Duterte.
La Viña said it was particularly troubling when individuals were detained over cases that were later dropped or abandoned by succeeding administrations.
"There’s nothing there. There isn’t even a hint of a case. All of this is synthetic; it’s artificial," he said.
This comes as the plunder and graft complaint against the two lawmakers remains under preliminary investigation at the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with Solar Para sa Bayan (SPBC) and Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings Inc., owned by Leviste while he was still a private citizen.
