Sen. Loren Legarda and Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste left the Philippines on Aug. 2, the National Bureau of Immigration (NBI) confirmed Friday, as both lawmakers face complaints filed by the Office of the Ombudsman.
NBI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said the two lawmakers departed on separate flights and were allowed to leave because they had no derogatory records at the time.
“The office confirms the departure of Sen. Loren Legarda and Rep. Leandro Leviste in separate flights last August 2. Both had no derogatory records at the time of departure,” Sandoval said in a Viber message.
She said one left at dawn while the other departed in the evening.
Sandoval declined to disclose their destinations and expected return dates, saying they had no derogatory records that would restrict their departure.
The departures came after the Ombudsman announced last week that it would file plunder and graft complaints for preliminary investigation against Legarda and Leviste over alleged irregularities involving multibillion-peso solar projects.
Leviste was also scheduled to meet with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Thursday to clarify allegations linking him to a supposed character assassination plot against Executive Secretary Ralph Recto.
NBI-NCR Regional Director Emeterio Dongallo Jr. said the meeting was moved to Aug. 11. He added that the investigation would continue even if Leviste and former Rep. Jing Paras do not attend.
Meanwhile, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said he expects Legarda and Leviste to return to the country despite the ongoing investigations.
“The investigation of the cases against them will proceed,” Remulla said in a media interview.
“Will they evade the cases? They will return; I believe they will return. Either that or they will return to the country in handcuffs,” he added.
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