Leviste says he did not receive DoE’s P24-B fine notice

BATANGAS Rep. Leandro Antonio L. Leviste on Wednesday rejected blame over the multibillion-peso fine imposed by the Energy department on numerous delayed energy projects, saying the notice was not sent to a company he owned.

Mr. Leviste said the Energy department’s P24-billion fine for delayed projects was sent to SP New Energy Corp. (SPNEC) and not Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings, Inc., but stopped short of saying that SPNEC should shoulder it.

“It was not Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings that received the letter about the said fine, but SP New Energy Corp.,” he said in a media briefing in Filipino. “I can categorically say that none of my companies received a letter stating there was a P24-billion penalty, and that it was SPNEC which received the letter.”

An SPNEC representative, reached for comment, reiterated the company is not liable for the Department of Energy’s (DoE) multibillion-peso penalty.

The dispute over liability arose after Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin last week said Solar Philippines would be fined for delays in delivering nearly 12,000 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy. The DoE terminated 33 of its service contracts, accounting for around 64% of more than 18,000 MW of potential capacity.

Mr. Leviste said he had paid other fines imposed by the DoE. “We already paid other penalties… just recently… about P70 million.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio