A quote card claims that Sen. Loren Legarda said she will not return to work until the complaints filed against her son, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, are withdrawn. This is fake.
On Aug. 18, a Facebook page posted a social media card featuring a photo of Legarda, who was on medical leave this August, and the supposed quote:
“Karapatan ko naman mag extend ng medical leave, kahit gaano katagal ko gusto mag leave may magagawa ba kayo? Sinabi ko naman sa inyo kahit gaano akong katagal wala sa trabaho mayroon pa rin akong sweldo. ‘Yung isang senador nga ilang buwan absent pero tuloy ang sweldo, ako pa kaya? SERYOSO AKO SA SINABI KO, HANGGANG HINDI NIYO INAATRAS ANG KASO SA ANAK KO, HINDI NIYO KO MAKIKITANG MAG SISILBI SA BANSA
(It is my right to extend my medical leave, no matter how long I choose to take a leave, is there anything you can do about it? I already told you all that regardless of how long I am absent from work, I continue to receive my salary. After all, there is a senator who was absent for months yet kept getting paid, why wouldn’t the same apply to me? I AM SERIOUS ABOUT WHAT I SAID, UNTIL YOU WITHDRAW THE CASE AGAINST MY SON, YOU WILL NOT SEE ME SERVING THE COUNTRY).”
This quote is fake. There are no official records or reports of Legarda making such a remark.
There is no such statement published on her official website and social media channels either.
On Aug. 20, Legarda, on her official FB page, disowned the circulating quote and advised netizens to get information only from her verified accounts.
Legarda has been on medical leave since August 2, when she left the country for France via a connecting flight from Hong Kong. Leviste also departed for Hong Kong on the same day. This is after securing a two-month multi-country travel authority allowing him to go on leave from July 26 to Sept. 24.
The senator then extended her leave until Aug. 19 but remained absent from the Aug. 24 Impeachment hearing.
The Office of the Ombudsman has flagged the mother and son’s leaves as “suspicious” given that it is currently conducting a preliminary investigation into the plunder and graft complaints filed against them over solar power projects.
The Department of Energy has earlier filed complaints against Leviste and executives from his solar firms for failing to fulfill their contracts with the government for renewable energy technology installations.
The National Bureau of Investigation is also currently investigating Leviste’s connection with an alleged “honey-trap” and human trafficking plot against Executive Secretary Ralph Recto.
When asked if it is likely that the senator might seek asylum in France, Asst. Ombudsman Mico Clavano said that this is “possible.” Sen. Ping Lacson, meanwhile, dismissed such claims and said that Legarda told him that she has problems with her lungs that need medical assistance.
The false video circulated two days after the Senate confirmed that Legarda had extended her leave until Aug. 19. She has since asked for an extension of her leave until September 2.
Two posts by FB pages Pinoy Headlines (created on June 5, 2026) and Filipino’s Patriotism (April 19, 2013) collectively garnered 1,782 engagements. Other users have reposted the fake graphic on other social media platforms such as Instagram and Threads.
