Former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay backed the Office of the Ombudsman’s investigation into Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste and his solar power franchise granted by Congress.
In a Facebook post, Hilbay said the analysis of the complaint, which also includes Leviste’s mother Sen. Loren Legarda, begins with determining whether the franchise granted to Solar Para sa Bayan Corporation was necessary in the first place.
Hilbay contended that it was not.
“There was no conceivable need for any such franchise and the only possible reason why a franchise was needed was precisely to provide the grantee an unnecessary advantage in an otherwise competitive market. It also created an unnecessary asset—the franchise—that could be monetized,” he said.
He also said this was detrimental to Filipinos who could have enjoyed lower prices and more efficient electrification in a freer and fairer market.
“The Ombudsman is right to proceed with its investigation,” he added.
The Ombudsman is investigating a plunder and graft complaint against Leviste and Legarda.
Leviste’s solar firms allegedly failed to deliver promised power projects in remote and unserved areas.
The firms had reportedly incurred over P10 billion in unpaid obligations to the government arising from the terminated contracts.
Legarda was included in the probe because she chaired the Senate Finance Committee when her son was granted the franchise.