Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste has offered to cover the hospital expenses of Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro, who said she suffered “anxiety” from his ₱110-million libel case.
In a Facebook post following Castro’s March 23 press conference—where she jokingly demanded ₱500 million in counterclaims—Leviste wrote:
“Humihingi si USec Claire Castro na bayaran ko siya dahil sa ‘sleepless nights and anxiety’ na dulot umano ng kasong isinampa ko laban sa kanya. Wala akong obligasyong bayaran siya. Pero kung kailangan niyang magpagamot ngayon, bukal sa loob kong sagutin ang kanyang gastusin sa ospital.”
Leviste filed the libel case on January 16, seeking ₱110 million in moral and exemplary damages plus attorney’s fees.
The complaint stemmed from alleged “fake news” and “libelous statements” Castro made about the solar energy company he founded, SP New Energy Corp. (SPNEC).
The 33-year-old lawmaker sold his controlling stake in SPNEC to power giant Meralco for around ₱34 billion in 2024, a year before entering Congress. (Ellson Quismorio)
