De Facto Martial Law or De Facto Meltdown? Leviste’s P24-Billion Sob Story

When Your Solar Empire Implodes, Just Declare Yourself a Political Prisoner

By Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — January 2 9, 2026

LISTEN up, because we’re about to autopsy a political corpse still twitching with self-pity. Batangas First District Rep. Leandro Leviste—once billed as the solar wunderkind who would light up the archipelago—has now pivoted to constitutional cosplay, declaring the Philippines under “de facto martial law.” In a Facebook video that reeks of desperation more than dissent, he equates routine legal scrutiny with Marcos Sr.’s tanks rolling into campuses. The man who built a fortune on promises of renewable glory is now peddling the oldest trick in the demagogue’s playbook: when your house is burning from your own matches, scream that the fire department is fascist.

This is not courage. This is a red herring so red it could headline a bullfight.

**“When your solar panels produce more drama than kilowatts, just flip the victim-switch to FULL BRIGHT!”**

1. The Grand Distraction

Let’s start with the centerpiece of Leviste’s victim monologue: the claim that critics are being “silenced through legal action.” Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla, never one for subtlety, called it exactly what it is—a “red herring” designed to “obfuscate” Leviste’s “many problems.” Remulla’s evidence is brutally simple: thousands of vloggers daily hurl the vilest invective at the President without so much as a knock on the door. No arrests. No midnight raids. Just the normal noise of a democracy that, for all its flaws, has not yet reverted to bayonet governance. (See the full report from ABS-CBN News.)

Malacañang’s Claire Castro was drier: “Not all wrong opinions deserve a response.” She pointed out the obvious—the President himself has filed zero libel cases against his critics, even as they savage him nonstop. And Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, who has actually praised Leviste’s “raw courage” in the past, delivered the coup de grâce: “No, of course not. Malayo, malayo. I do not agree.” Coming from a man who has seen actual authoritarianism up close, that dismissal lands like a gavel.

Meanwhile, Leviste’s own narrative crumbles under the weight of reality: a P24-billion fine from the Department of Energy (DOE) hanging over his head like a guillotine, and an Office of the Ombudsman probe into alleged franchise violations. This is not persecution. This is accountability knocking, and Leviste is answering by yelling “martial law!” from the rooftop of his collapsing empire.

2. The Leviste Labyrinth (Evisceration Central)

Business vs. Bust-ness

Solar Philippines was supposed to be Leviste’s legacy: the kid who turned sunlight into billions and energy security into reality. Instead, it delivered one of the most spectacular flameouts in Philippine corporate history. The DOE imposed that P24-billion penalty not because of politics, but because Leviste’s firm failed to deliver on commitments—over 11,000 megawatts (MW) of promised power, with only a fraction materialized before contracts were terminated en masse. That’s not political vendetta; that’s breach of contract on a national scale under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 (RA 9513).

Then there’s the corporate “layering” between SP New Energy Corporation (SPNEC) and Solar Philippines Power Projects Holdings—a structure so transparent it’s practically translucent. Good assets allegedly spun off to SPNEC (sold to Meralco for a tidy sum), bad liabilities left rotting in the holding company. It’s the kind of shell game that would embarrass a first-year accounting student. Leviste insists he divested before entering Congress, yet reports suggest lingering stakes in the parent entity. If this is clean, then I’m a Supreme Court justice.

Motivational Calculus

Why the sudden pivot to “de facto martial law”? Elementary, my dear readers. When your business is hemorrhaging credibility and your wallet is facing a P24-billion hit, what better deflection than to recast yourself as a martyr? Leviste’s new brand: the persecuted anti-corruption crusader exposing Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) rot via the Cabral files. Convenient timing, no? The louder he screams about silencing, the quieter the conversation becomes about why his solar promises evaporated while the national grid still begs for capacity.

And let’s not ignore the political angle. Whispers of Diehard Duterte Supporter (DDS) sympathies, Duterte-era franchise connections, and a possible 2028/2034 play. Nothing says “future opposition leader” like wrapping yourself in the flag of free speech while your empire implodes.

Hypocrisy Spotlight

The crown jewel of irony: Leviste laments the “silencing of critics” while simultaneously filing a P111-million libel suit against Claire Castro for daring to question his franchise dealings. He threatens more libel cases against anyone repeating similar claims. The man who cries victimhood is wielding the very legal cudgel he decries. If this is “de facto martial law,” then Leviste is its self-appointed enforcer.

3. The Supporting Cast (Favorable, but not Uncritical)

Remulla is the blunt instrument of reality: no-nonsense, occasionally tone-deaf, but dead-on here. Whispers of political bias? Sure, he’s Marcos-aligned, and his brother is Ombudsman. But the facts stand independent: no critics in handcuffs, despite daily provocation. His stance is anchored in observable truth, not family ties.

Castro is the palace communicator doing her job—pushing back on falsehoods and now facing Leviste’s legal retaliation. Her case is the perfect counter-example: the system allows criticism (she criticized him), allows defense (he sued), and lets courts decide. That’s not silencing; that’s due process.

Lacson is the adult in the room. His past praise for Leviste gives his current rejection devastating weight. He’s seen enough real authoritarianism to know cheap rhetoric when he hears it.

4. Legal & Ethical Forensics

Let’s get legalistic, because Leviste clearly needs the refresher.

The Renewable Energy Act (RA 9513) mandates performance under service contracts; failure triggers penalties, bond forfeiture, and termination. That’s what happened—law applied, not vendetta.

Franchise transfers under Republic Act No. 11357 require congressional approval. The Ombudsman’s probe into whether Leviste’s solar firm circumvented this is textbook anti-graft territory under Republic Act No. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act). No congressional nod? Potential undue advantage, possible revocation, maybe jail time.

Libel? Articles 353–355 of the Revised Penal Code and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (RA 10175) still exist. Leviste’s suit is his right; whether it succeeds is for court to decide. But using libel to muzzle critics while crying censorship is peak hypocrisy.

Conflict of interest? Article XI, Section 8 of the 1987 Constitution bars legislators from financial interests in government-privileged enterprises. Divestment claims are under scrutiny. If incomplete, that’s not persecution—it’s violation.

These are transparent, statutory channels. The exact opposite of martial law.

5. The Rumor Mill & Broader Intrigues

The swirl of DDS ties, forcible Cabral file grabs, and corporate shenanigans isn’t proof of anything, but it is symptom of the poison Leviste’s rhetoric injects. Inflammatory claims breed conspiracy theories; hyperbolic victimhood fuels polarization. He didn’t create the toxicity alone, but he’s pouring gasoline on it.

6. Consequences & The Path Forward

The fallout is already here: eroded trust in institutions, diverted attention from real energy security crises, and chilled policy debate replaced by performative martyrdom. When public figures cry “martial law” over legitimate probes, they undermine the very democracy they pretend to defend.

So here is the Supreme Call to Order: submit to the rule of law. All of you.

Let the DOE fine appeal play out in court. Let the Ombudsman complete its franchise investigation. Let the libel suit against Castro proceed without political theater. Full transparency in every probe—no selective leaks, no grandstanding.

Society must reject this brand of democracy-undermining rhetoric. Demand fact-based accountability, not Facebook fatwas. Leviste’s narrative is a fraudulent spectacle—a billionaire playing victim to dodge consequences. The path forward is simple: law, evidence, and consequences for everyone. No exceptions. No drama.

The Republic survives bad businessmen and worse rhetoric. It dies when we pretend otherwise.

— Barok
(Still waiting for the day the Republic runs on facts instead of Facebook feelings. Until then, keep crying in the comments.)