Antonio Leviste

In this Filipino name, the middle name or maternal family name is Casals and the surname or paternal family name is Leviste.
The Honorable
Tony Leviste
18th Governor of Batangas
In office
February 17, 1972 – March 2, 1980
Preceded byAntonio Carpio
Succeeded byJose C. Laurel V
Vice Governor of Batangas
In office
January 1, 1972 – February 17, 1972
Personal details
BornJose Antonio Casals Leviste
(1940-01-16) January 16, 1940
Malabon, Rizal, Philippine Commonwealth
NationalityFilipino
PartyLakas (1993–present)
Other political
affiliations		PRP (1991–1993)
KBL (1978–1980)
Spouses
  • Celia Sarangaya
​
​
(m. 1989; ann. 2008)​
Children5 (inc. Toni and Leandro)
ResidenceManila
Alma materLyceum of the Philippines
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionBusinessman

Jose Antonio "Tony" Casals Leviste (born January 16, 1940) is a Filipino politician and businessman, who served as Governor of Batangas from 1972 to 1980. Born to a distinguished Batangueño family renowned in both business and politics, he was married to Senator Loren Legarda, but later separated from her before the 2004 elections. Leviste is the father of equestrian Toni Leviste and businessman-turned-politician Leandro Leviste.

In 2009, Leviste was sentenced to six years in prison for the 2007 murder of his aide Rafael de las Alas. Leviste served his sentence at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa and on December 6, 2013, he was released after his parole was granted.

Career

Leviste graduated from the Lyceum of the Philippines in 1959 and became the president of the Student Varsitarian, a reputable campus organization for students hails from different provinces. During his term as Governor of Batangas, he was elected member of the Batasang Bayan chairman of the Regional Development Council, Vice President of the League of Governors and City Mayors, and chairman of the Program for Forest Ecosystem management.

Leviste was an advocate of the environment. He initiated a forest ecosystem management program which today continues to be a model in reforestation that made him earn the coveted "Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines" (TOYM) award for Public Administration in 1973.

Leviste was chosen the "Realtor of the Year" by the Business Writers Association of the Philippines. He served as the director in various government agencies, including the People's Homesite and Housing Corporation (now the NHA), Philippine Ports Authority, Philippine Aerospace Development Corporation, Semirara Mining Corporation and the Philippine Tourism Authority. He was co-founder of the Pasay Board of Realtors and the Philippine Association of Real Estate Boards. He also served as Chairman of the Philippine Leisure and Retirement Authority (now the PRA) in the early 2000s. He holds the rank of Lt. Commander in the Philippine Navy Reserve Force and is the Honorary Consul General of the State of Palestine.

In late 1991, Leviste joined Miriam Defensor Santiago's newly established People's Reform Party as its secretary general, where he was also made its leading senatorial candidate for the 1992 election.[1][2][3] However, Leviste and the other PRP senatorial candidates failed to win seats in the election.

Currently, he is the charter president of the Resort Association of the Philippines and co-founder of the Tourism Council of the Philippines. He is the chief executive officer of the Leviste Group of Companies, a real estate firm engaged in housing, subdivision, condominium and resort development.

Personal life

Leviste met Loren Legarda at his family-owned Matabungkay Beach Club in the 1980s, after having seen her as a reporter on television.[4] The two married in 1989, and had two children: Lorenzo Antonio (born 1990) and Leandro Antonio (born 1993); in March 2002, Legarda suffered a miscarriage with their eight-week-old third baby.[5] Since 2001, Leviste and Legarda were living separately from each other, with the latter taking custody of their children.[6][7] In November 2002, the surname "Leviste" was dropped from Legarda's name in the Senate, and by 2008, their marriage was annulled.[8][9]

During an international road show organized by the Department of Tourism in 2002, Leviste joined tourism secretary Richard Gordon in hosting the event, where the former was noted to have performed magic tricks.[10][7]

Homicide conviction

On January 14, 2009, Leviste was convicted of homicide in the killing of his longtime friend and aide, 68-year-old Rafael de las Alas, who had died from four gunshot wounds in Leviste's office at the LPL Building in Makati on January 12, 2007.[11] Leviste had admitted responsibility for de las Alas' death, asserting he only fired in self-defence. The Makati Regional Trial Court sentenced him to six to twelve years in prison.[12] Leviste served his sentence at the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa and was released on December 6, 2013, after his parole was granted following six years in prison.

References

  1. ^ Defensor Santiago, Miriam (1994). Cutting Edge: The Politics of Reform in the Philippines. Mandaluyong: Woman Today Publications. p. 274. ISBN 971-17-0490-0. Our senatorial slate was headed by J. Antonio Leviste, who had been Batangas governor and TOYM awardee.
  2. ^ "Presidential aspirant Miriam Defensor Santiago holds the document[...]". Manila Standard. Kamahalan Publishing Corporation. December 12, 1991. p. 1. Retrieved August 29, 2025. Others in photo are Commissioner Haydee Yorac, former Batangas Gov. J. Antonio Leviste and Santiago supporters.
  3. ^ Cabrera, Bobby (January 21, 1992). "New PRP members". Manila Standard. Kamahalan Publishing Corporation. p. 4. Retrieved August 29, 2025. [...] Miriam Defensor Santiago, assisted by PRP secretary general Tony Leviste of Batangas[...]
  4. ^ Khan, Rachel E., ed. (2006). "Loren's Baggage: The Senator's Husband Is Trailed by Controversy". Prize Journalism: A Collection of Jaime V. Ongpin Award Winners. Anvil Publishing. p. 251. ISBN 978-971-27-1806-9. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  5. ^ Salterio, Leah (March 3, 2002). "Loren Legarda loses baby". Philippine Daily Inquirer. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. p. A6. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  6. ^ Roy, Jonah V. (June 27, 2007). "Hardworking Loren says 'I'm thick-faced'". The Manila Times. The Manila Times Publishing Corp. pp. A1, A3. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  7. ^ a b Agustin, Victor C. (October 16, 2006). "Leviste's disappearing act". Philippine Daily Inquirer. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. p. B3. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  8. ^ "Loren drops 'Leviste'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. November 23, 2002. pp. A1, A4. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  9. ^ Yamsuan, Cathy (February 15, 2013). "Loren on love: I'm not a cougar…". Inquirer.net. Inquirer Interactive, Inc. Retrieved August 29, 2025. After Legarda's marriage to former Batangas Gov. Antonio Leviste was annulled in 2008[...]
  10. ^ Nepales, Ruben V. (September 27, 2002). "Kuh, Basil together in LA". Philippine Daily Inquirer. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. p. A29. Retrieved August 29, 2025. With their often risqué humor, [Richard] Gordon and [Antonio] Leviste (he even did some magic tricks) were able to spice up their messages[...]
  11. ^ Inquirer Research (May 20, 2011). "WHAT WENT BEFORE". Inquirer.net. Manila, Philippines: Inquirer Interactive, Inc. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  12. ^ PRESS DIGEST – Philippine newspapers – Jan 15. January 15, 2009. Forbes. Retrieved on February 6, 2010.
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