MANILA, Philippines — A Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) has ordered the arrest of Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Antonio Leviste for allegedly violating the Public Service Act, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed on Wednesday, October 7.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag stated that the warrant was issued by Branch 235 of the Makati City RTC and signed on October 5.
“As a law enforcement agency, we are given copies of arrest warrants issued by various courts. And it’s true that the NBI received a copy of an arrest warrant against Congressman Leviste,” said Matibag.
According to the official copy received by law enforcement, the charge stems from an alleged breach of Section 25 of Commonwealth Act 146, as amended by Republic Act 11659. Presiding Judge Ricardo Moldez II directed law enforcement officers to bring Leviste before the court “forthwith… to be dealt with according to law.” Bail has been fixed at ₱72,000.
It remains unverified whether the case is directly tied to the solar power commitments that Leviste and his corporate entity allegedly failed to fulfill across roughly 30 government contracts. The projects were intended to resolve electricity supply shortages and high energy costs, particularly in remote regions.
The Department of Energy (DOE) previously slapped Leviste and his firm with a ₱24 billion fine over the undelivered installations and initiated legal action before the Department of Justice matching the charge detailed in the warrant. The Office of the Ombudsman is conducting a separate, parallel inquiry into the matter.
Matibag disclosed that current intelligence indicates Leviste and his mother departed the Philippines in August and remain overseas.
However, the NBI chief noted that mechanisms exist to execute the order abroad, including requesting passport cancellation through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and petitioning the House of Representatives to revoke Leviste’s travel authority.