THE Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) on Sunday denounced the graft and plunder complaints filed against Sen. Loren Legarda, her son, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, and former Energy secretary Alfonso Cusi, calling the allegations “an obvious attempt to weaken the legitimate opposition.”
PDP-Laban spokesman Ferdinand Topacio issued the statement after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said his office was initiating a preliminary investigation involving Legarda, Leviste and Cusi for alleged plunder and graft in connection with more than P10 billion worth of solar projects.
“The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) condemns and denounces to high heavens the latest in a series of execrable actions by the puppet Ombudsman, of systematically decimating the legitimate Opposition, by now preparing unfounded charges against PDP chairman Alfonso Cusi, Senator Loren Legarda and her son, Batangas representative Leandro Leviste,” Topacio said in a statement.
He said it was deeply deplorable that Remulla has repeatedly allowed the Office of the Ombudsman “to be prostituted in the name of political persecution.”
“Mr. Remulla is fooling no one but himself when he keeps saying — laughably — that his actions are motivated purely by his duties, since only those who pretend to be blind will deny that Remulla has been, from Day One of his assumption, taking orders from his patrons in the Palace,” Topacio said.
“Worse, the Ombudsman has prejudged the said issue of the solar power franchise even without any formal investigation, proof positive that the projected preliminary investigation is going to be a mere formality, a validation of the Ombudsman’s long-held prejudices and long-standing orders to harass the political Opposition by hook or by crook,” he said.
Topacio also questioned the inclusion of Cusi, PDP Laban’s newly elected chairman, as a respondent in the case.
He said that the impending probe “is nothing but an obvious attempt to weaken the legitimate Opposition in light of the below-sea-level trust ratings of the Ombudsman’s political master, and the burgeoning levels of discontent against the present administration.”
“While we in the PDP have — time and again — made it clear that we are against extra-constitutional regime change and violence of any kind in pursuit of any political ends, the growing unrest in the grassroots precisely because of blatant moves by the government to stifle the people’s voices and choices can no longer be ignored,” Topacio said.
“Mr. Remulla must therefore realize, before it is too late, that — heaven forbid! — should the powder keg be ignited, then may God have mercy on his soul,” he said.
On Friday, Remulla said his office would look into the alleged “Legarda-Leviste Solar Energy Network,” where the respondents allegedly conspired to secure exclusive government rights over the country’s solar energy resources through legislative and regulatory maneuverings.
The Ombudsman said the scheme resulted in more than P10.44 billion in unpaid debts after several projects were not developed as promised.
“We really suffered because of what they did. They obtained exclusive solar power contracts that produced ‘ghost electricity,’” Remulla said.
Many of the contracted projects were never built or were only partially completed, he added.
The Ombudsman filed complaints for alleged violations of Republic Act (RA) 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; RA 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees; and RA 7080, or the Anti-Plunder Law.
The case follows a complaint filed by the Department of Energy (DOE) before the Department of Justice (DOJ) in May against Leviste and five officials of Solar Para sa Bayan Corp., accusing the company of failing to provide electricity to remote, unviable, unserved and underserved areas as required under its franchise.
In a statement on Friday, Legarda said the accusations were “utterly baseless.”
