“Malinaw naman ang resibo na yung letter nila asking for twenty-four billion to be paid, na later binago nila to ten billion, ay doon sa kay Mr. Emmanuel Rubio at hindi kay Leandro Leviste, hindi sa kanyang mga kumpanya,” La Viña said.

The distinction among the companies is central to La Viña’s argument that financial obligations attributed to one entity should not automatically be treated as obligations of another.

Solar Para sa Bayan franchise

La Viña also discussed the Solar Para sa Bayan franchise, which he said was non-exclusive and later ceased to exist under an automatic revocation provision after failing to become operational. He attributed the non-implementation of the franchise to the absence of implementing rules and designated areas from the DOE.

“Hindi siya na-implement dahil sa gobyerno. Hindi naglabas yung Department of Energy ng rules and regulations to implement the solar franchise. Hindi rin naglabas ang gobyerno, ang DOE, ng mga lugar kung saan siya pwedeng i-implement,” he said.

The statement represents La Viña’s explanation for why the franchise did not proceed. The significance of the franchise and the responsibilities of the parties involved remain matters for the relevant government agencies and legal proceedings to determine.

Renewable energy service contracts

La Viña also disputed claims that Leviste had monopolized renewable energy service contracts. He said the 42 solar contracts attributed to Leviste represented only a portion of the 518 solar service contracts nationwide.

He further explained that a renewable energy service contract generally covers exploration and pre-development activities and does not guarantee that a project will ultimately be constructed or become operational.

According to La Viña, projects can fail to proceed because of factors such as land availability, grid connectivity, financing, and other feasibility concerns. He said private investors assume the financial risks associated with such projects and remain responsible for applicable obligations.

On this basis, La Viña questioned whether the failure of a privately funded renewable energy project to proceed could, by itself, establish the elements of plunder or graft.

Legarda's involvement

La Viña separately rejected allegations linking Senator Legarda to her son's renewable energy ventures. He maintained that Legarda did not participate in the management of Leviste's companies and did not use her public office to advance their business interests.

He argued that the family relationship between Legarda and Leviste does not, by itself, establish the senator's participation in the transactions or contractual obligations of the companies.

“There’s nothing in the charges of the Ombudsman na kasama si Senator Loren Legarda. So, yun, bakit siya nakasama?” La Viña said.

He called on authorities to identify specific evidence showing that Legarda personally participated in any alleged wrongdoing. Legal proceedings La Viña described the allegations against Legarda and

Globe Telecom company m360 was named the winner of a Gold Stevie® Award in the Most Innovative Tech Company of the Year category in The 23rd Annual International Business Awards® (IBAs).

A Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) provider under Brave Connective Holdings, Inc., m360’s innovation - a wallet-based, omnichannel Customer Engagement Platform - was recognized globally, positioning the Filipino-built CPaaS provider among the most innovative tech companies in the world in just five years since its founding in 2021.

The International Business Awards are the world’s premier business awards program. All individuals and organizations worldwide – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small - are eligible to submit nominations. The 2026 IBAs received entries from organizations in 82 nations and territories.

Winners will be celebrated during a gala event at the Pullman Paris Montparnasse on Wednesday, 28 October.

“This Gold win is a recognition of what our team has built - a platform designed to solve real problems for Filipino businesses. It’s proof that innovation doesn’t have to come from Silicon Valley to compete on the world stage. This belongs to every person at m360 who worked to get us here,” said m360 President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ramon Hirang.

m360 also brought home a Silver award at the 2025 International Stevie Awards under the Achievement in Product Innovation category.

World class innovation, made in the Philippines

In 2025, m360 launched two market-first products that addressed an infrastructure gap on how Philippine businesses can automate and monitor engagement in digital marketing campaigns.

Flows enables businesses to design and execute multi-step, multi-channel outbound messaging sequences entirely within m360, with zero third-party integration required - a capability previously accessible only through enterprise marketing automation suites that cost multiples of what m360 offers, and that require months of implementation.

Click Tracking delivers recipient-level engagement intelligence natively within the m360 broadcast dashboard - giving businesses real-time visibility into CTR, unique clicks per campaign, peak click timing by hourly intervals, device type breakdown, and geographic engagement down to the city level. What was once a one-way broadcast channel is now a measurable performance tool.

“The CPaaS industry in the Philippines has historically been dominated by aggregators offering transmission - not intelligence. Businesses could send messages, but couldn't measure engagement, automate follow-up, or optimize campaigns without layering on expensive external tools. m360's 2024–2025 innovations directly address these gaps. Each product was built because the market needed it and no local provider had built it yet,” said Mr. Hirang.

With clients spanning clinics, cooperatives, government agencies, banks, and retailers, m360 is bringing digital communication intelligence to every corner of the Philippine economy.

The 2026 International Business Awards

More than 3,400 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Company of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Startup of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year, and Executive of the Year, among others.

Stevie Award nominations were evaluated by more than 200 business professionals worldwide serving as judges on 9 specialized committees. Stevie Award winners were determined based on judges' average scores during the independent judging process in June and July.

“The 2026 International Business Awards winners represent the very best in business achievement from organizations of all sizes and across virtually every industry,” said Stevie Awards President Maggie Miller.

“This year's winners have demonstrated exceptional innovation, leadership, resilience, and results in a highly competitive global field. We congratulate every Stevie Award winner and look forward to celebrating their achievements together in Paris on October 28.”

Details about The International Business Awards and the lists of Stevie Award winners are available at http://IBA.Stevieawards.com