Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste did not appear before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for the second time on Tuesday after being subpoenaed in connection with an alleged sex scandal plot against Executive Secretary Ralph Recto.
Instead, Leviste sent two lawyers to the NBI-National Capital Region office shortly after 9:30 a.m., according to a report by RH Jecelle Ricafort.
Meanwhile, in an ambush interview, Atty. Gabrielle Rondain-Kapunan, counsel for Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, said they “invoked their client’s right to remain silent” during their appearance before NBI-NCR investigators probing the alleged “honeytrap” plot against Recto.
Kapunan said they had already submitted an affidavit to the bureau.
Kapunan also strongly denied any involvement by Leviste in the alleged attempt to set up Recto, who has been referred to as the “little president.”
Asked whether Leviste had already returned to the Philippines, Kapunan said she did not know.
Leviste was initially subpoenaed to appear before the NBI on August 6, but he did not personally attend and instead sent his lawyers.
The bureau then gave him another opportunity to appear on August 11, which he again failed to do.
The case involves allegations of a supposed “honeytrap” operation against Recto. An arrested talent manager had reportedly claimed that Leviste would finance the operation.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag earlier confirmed that Leviste and his mother, Sen. Loren Legarda, left the country on August 2.
Matibag said the two took separate flights to Hong Kong, with France as their final destination.
Leviste has been tagged as the alleged financier of the purported attempt to set up Recto, while former congressman Jing Paras has been identified as the alleged facilitator.
Both Leviste and Paras have denied the allegations.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed on August 7 that Leviste and Legarda had departed the country on August 2, four days before the congressman was first ordered to appear before the NBI.
Their departure also came days after the Office of the Ombudsman announced the filing of plunder and graft complaints against them.
