Dennis Gasgonia

Ombudsman casts doubt on Legarda’s illness claim amid her extended 'medical leave'

Article (news)

Kaxandra Salonga

ABS-CBN News

MANILA - The Ombudsman has cast doubt on Sen. Loren Legarda’s claim of a “serious illness” amid her extended medical leave abroad as she faces an ongoing investigation over alleged anomalies involving solar projects.Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said on Friday that the graft-busting body would have preferred Legarda to request a single medical leave if she was indeed suffering from a serious illness, rather than repeatedly extending her stay abroad.“Kung talagang meron siyang serious illness, sana isa lang po yung hiningin niya na medical leave, hindi yung pa-extend-extend,” Clavano said.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/18/legarda-extends-medical-leave-1032">Loren Legarda extends medical leave </a> </div>He said the Ombudsman flagged Legarda’s travel because her authority to leave the country already indicated a specific period, but was followed by several extensions.Clavano also said the fact that Legarda and her son were both out of the country added to the agency’s suspicion.“And the fact that both mother and son are out of the country adds to the speculation or adds to the suspicion of the Office of the Ombudsman,” he said.He said the agency is raising the issue because the cases under investigation affect the public.“A lot of the allocations for solar power was given to this company and yet hindi nila nagawa. So ngayon nararamdaman po ng taong-bayan yung hirap at yung pagtaas ng presyo ng kuryente,” Clavano said. “Sana po ay manatili muna kayo dito sa bansa para po medyo maliwanagan po tayo doon sa nangyari at maliwanagan din ang taong bayan sa katotohanan,” he added.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/11/leviste-through-lawyer-denies-honey-trap-link-1425">Leviste, through lawyer, denies &#x27;honey trap&#x27; link</a></div>Clavano earlier said the Ombudsman has obtained a travel authority showing that Legarda’s son, Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste, also requested a two-month leave from July 26 to Sept. 24.Legarda earlier dismissed as &quot;utterly false and baseless&quot; the claims which implicated her to a supposed solar contract scheme involving her son.Leviste also denied that  he profited from the sale of a congressional franchise for Solar Para sa Bayan Corporation, which he reportedly owns.ABS-CBN News has sought comment from Legarda.

The Ombudsman cast doubt on Sen. Loren Legarda’s claim of a “serious illness” amid her extended medical leave abroad as she faces an ongoing investigation over alleged anomalies involving solar projects.

The Ombudsman cast doubt on Sen. Loren Legarda’s claim of a “serious illness” amid her extended medical leave abroad as she faces an ongoing investigation over alleged anomalies involving solar projects.