Palace’s Castro says Leviste libel complaint meant to silence her
MANILA, Philippines — Palace press officer Claire Castro on Friday described the civil libel complaint filed by Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste against her as an attempt to silence her.
She also questioned who is truly behind this move and who stands to benefit from muzzling her.
READ: Leviste seeks P110M in civil libel damages against Castro
“Filing this case is the real way to stop me from speaking out and discussing these issues,” she said in a Viber message to reporters when asked for a reaction on the matter.
She also said, “Here’s the question now: Who is really behind the filing of this case against me? Who wants to shut me up? Who stands to gain the most from this?”
Leviste filed a civil libel complaint against Castro before the Balayan Regional Trial Court in Batangas for her allegedly “libelous statements” regarding the real state of his solar energy firm.
The congressman sought P110 million in damages in response to Castro’s claims that he had sold the Solar Para sa Bayan Corp. (SPBC) franchise.
According to Leviste, the company he sold was SP New Energy Corp., which is now a subsidiary of Meralco PowerGen Corp., and which had a renewable energy service contract for a 280-megawatt solar project in Nueva Ecija.
He explained that SPBC was awarded a congressional franchise to construct, install, and operate solar-powered microgrids in remote areas.
This after the Department of Energy imposed a P24-billion fine on Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings Inc., the parent company of his solar energy empire, for failing to deliver the power it had committed under more than 30 service contracts with the government.
“I have not yet received a copy of the complaint filed by Congressman Leviste. But for now, my response is based solely on his interview. In the interview, Cong. Leviste admitted that the source of the alleged sale of the company with a franchise came from Ombudsman Remulla. However, he said he will not file a case against the Ombudsman because he respects him and he is a friend of his mother,” Castro said.
“Is he going to file a case against me just because I am not a friend of his mother and he does not respect me? Can we say that the Ombudsman’s statements are considered legitimate and not defamatory, while my statements — sourced from the Ombudsman — are seen as nothing but libelous?” she also asked.
Castro further said, “Aside from that, Congressman Leviste admitted that he is no longer the owner of Solar Para sa Bayan (which holds the franchise) because he has already divested his shares. He himself is the source.” /das
