Garin: Leviste guilty of conflict of interestMANILA, Philippines — Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Leviste is guilty of conflict of interest for his failure to divest from the solar power firm that he formed prior to his election in Congress. “Under the 1987 Constitution, especially as a franchise holder, when you get a privilege or a contract, you should divest. That should be made prior, you can get elected, but before you even sit and take your oath, you should no longer be involved because that’s conflict of interest,” she explained. Garin disclosed that upon verification with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Leviste remains the owner of Solar Philippines. Of that figure, Leviste’s Solar Philippines held contracts amounting to 12,000 megawatts or 60 percent of the energy department projections, Garin said, owing to the fact that such company “failed to meet targets and derailed the agency’s plans.”

Source: Philippine Star January 21, 2026 16:45 UTC