Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Rowegie Abanto

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769486908335composites 2 (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">DILG Sec. Jonvic Remulla and Rep. Leandro Leviste. <em>Photo by Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/Leviste Facebook</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA<strong> (2nd UPDATE) </strong>— Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Tuesday said Batangas First District Rep. Leandro Leviste&#x27;s claim of a &quot;de facto martial law&quot; was a &quot;red herring&quot; meant to divert public attention away from his &quot;many problems.&quot; </p><p>Leviste, who is facing scrutiny over a solar energy firm he founded, alleged in a Facebook video on Monday that the Philippines was under &quot;de facto martial law&quot; where government critics are silenced through legal action. He drew parallels of the situation to the military rule of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.&#x27;s father and namesake.  </p><p>&quot;That&#x27;s a red herring,&quot; Remulla said of Leviste&#x27;s remark. &quot;He&#x27;s facing so many problems that he&#x27;s trying to obfuscate it by saying more problems, that other problems, exist.&quot;  </p><p>&quot;Every day there must be at least 500 to 1,000 vloggers saying the most vitriolic things against the president. Have you heard anyone being arrested? There&#x27;s none,&quot; the DILG chief told ANC. </p><p>&quot;He has to face his problems, stop creating other problems, instead face your own. Inaresto ba siya, hinarass ba siya? Wala naman, di ba?&quot; he added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;NOT ALL WRONG OPINIONS DESERVE A RESPONSE&#x27;</strong></div><p>Meanwhile, Malacañang brushed off Leviste&#x27;s claim, saying &quot;not all wrong opinions deserve a response from the Palace.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Kung may mga kritiko, makikita naman po natin na panay-panay ang pag-akusa, pagbibigay ng masasakit na salita sa Pangulo pero ang Pangulo hindi nagsasampa ng kaso,&quot; Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro told Palace reporters.</p><p>Earlier this month, Leviste filed a P111-million libel case against Castro after the Palace official said in her vlog that the neophyte lawmaker supposedly sold the franchise of Solar Para Sa Bayan Corp.</p><p>Leviste has denied the allegations and said that he will be filing more libel cases against other individuals who made similar remarks about his power business. </p><p>Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson also disagreed with Leviste.</p><p>&quot;No, of course not. Malayo, malayo. I do not agree,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;Ako, malimit ako nag-agree sa kanya, no? Sa kanyang raw courage, sa kanyang principle. Pero this time I will not agree.&quot;</p><p>Lacson said he has been in touch with Leviste, who appeared in the last Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing which Lacson chaired in connection with the files of the late Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Catalina Cabral.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>FRANCHISE VIOLATION?</strong></div><p>The Department of Energy has imposed a P24-billion fine on Solar Philippines Power Projects Holdings, a firm founded by Leviste, for failing to deliver on its commitments.</p><p>The Office of the Ombudsman, meanwhile, said an investigation was underway into alleged franchise violations of a solar energy firm that Leviste founded, following claims that the transfer of the franchise proceeded without congressional approval. </p><p>Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla did not name the firm in question.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/1/21/leviste-tells-energy-chief-garin-it-s-malicious-to-call-me-a-flipper-1258">Leviste tells Energy chief Garin: &#x27;It&#x27;s malicious to call me a flipper&#x27;</a></div><p>Leviste’s Solar Para sa Bayan was granted a congressional franchise under RA 11357 in 2019 to construct, install and operate microgrids in remote areas. Leviste also founded the listed firm SP New Energy Corp. (SPNEC) but he earlier said he had divested before assuming office in the 20th Congress.</p><p>Leviste previously said that he was under scrutiny for &quot;exposing corruption&quot; in the public works department, a notion that Energy Secretary Sharon Garin denied.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/1/26/house-panel-probing-leviste-s-solar-energy-firm-may-begin-hearings-next-week-1620">House panel probing Leviste’s solar energy firm may begin hearings next week</a></div><p>When asked if the government would file a case against Leviste, DILG Sec. Remulla said, &quot;I think so. May <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/15/energy-chief-says-action-vs-leviste-firm-not-related-to-cabral-files-1055">fine na siya na P24 billion</a> sa DOE, I think the Ombudsman has publicly stated na kakasuhan na rin... but privately we haven&#x27;t talked about it.&quot;  <strong style="background-color:transparent">— With reports from Katrina Domingo and RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News</strong></p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS: </strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mVm4zaRE4WE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QL7cIH3coCY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RT3tGjz1NLo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Tuesday said Batangas First District Rep. Leandro Leviste's claim of a "de facto martial law" was a "red herring" meant to divert public attention away from his "many problems."</p>

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Tuesday said Batangas First District Rep. Leandro Leviste's claim of a "de facto martial law" was a "red herring" meant to divert public attention away from his "many problems."

Remulla says Leviste 'de facto martial law' claim a 'red herring'

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Remulla says Leviste 'de facto martial law' claim a 'red herring'

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 27, 2026 12:55 PM PHT

|

Updated January 27, 2026 04:37 PM PHT

Read More:

Leandro Leviste

Jonvic Remulla

Senate

Malacanang

Claire Castro

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