Politics · Philippines Bureau
Only P80M collected from P24B penalty on Leviste solar firm
The Department of Energy has received just P80 million of the P24 billion fine imposed on a solar energy company linked to a Batangas congressman, raising questions about enforcement of the penalty.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — The government has collected only P80 million from a P24 billion penalty imposed on a solar energy company associated with Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste, the Department of Energy disclosed Wednesday.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin revealed the minimal collection amount during a hearing when Akbayan Partylist Representative Chel Diokno brought up concerns about the enforcement of the substantial fine against the solar firm.
The significant gap between the penalty amount and actual collections underscores ongoing challenges in enforcing financial penalties against energy companies. The circumstances surrounding both the penalty assessment and the apparent difficulty in collection remain under scrutiny.
The DOE has not yet provided details on the timeline for collecting the remaining balance or what enforcement measures are being undertaken to recover the outstanding amount from the solar company.