The Office of the Ombudsman expressed serious concern regarding the continuous medical leave extensions of Senator Loren Legarda and the multi-country international tour taken by her son, Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste, while both are subject to an active preliminary investigation into alleged corrupt energy ventures.
Speaking during a press conference, Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano highlighted that Legarda’s repeated leaves for health concerns have raised red flags within the anti-graft oversight body.
“Si Senator Loren Legarda is on her I believe third or fourth extension of her travel authority for medical reasons which we have begun to find quite suspicious already,” Clavano said.
“On the one hand, you have a congressman (Leviste) who has left the country for an intended two months, visiting all these different countries,” he added.
The mother-and-son lawmakers are named respondents in pending graft and plunder complaints concerning claims of non-existent or “ghost” solar energy projects valued at over ₱10 billion.
Legarda’s initial foreign departure to France on August 2 has resulted in her missing consecutive upper chamber sessions, including proceedings in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.
Senate administrative records note her latest approved health-related leave covered August 17 to 19, following previous absences from August 3 to 5 and August 11 to 12.
Meanwhile, Leviste secured a long-term travel approval coinciding with the legislative session calendar, though reports show his actual departure occurred on August 2 after appearing in the House on July 29.
Clavano emphasized that the investigative agency is carefully monitoring both public officials given their active status as respondents in ongoing inquiries.
“To us, of course, we want to err on the cautious side of things, kailangan na naming i-flag ‘yan dahil meron na siyang ongoing case dito sa Office of the Ombudsman,” he said.
The Assistant Ombudsman also raised the possibility that the lawmakers might attempt to seek political refuge while staying in France.
“Possible na nag-seek ng asylum, however, the only ground that she would be using to seek for asylum is political persecution,” the assistant ombudsman said.
While the preliminary probe remains underway, Clavano cautioned that the agency is prepared to take stricter legal measures if necessary, including seeking travel document invalidation.
“So if there is a prolonged absence and we can consider them fugitives from justice, then that is the time that we will move for the cancellation of their passports,” Clavano said.
He noted that the anti-graft agency has not yet formally instructed Legarda and Leviste to submit their counter-affidavits for the ongoing preliminary investigation.