Jose Antonio "Tony" Casals Leviste (born January 16, 1940) is a

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

politician and businessman, who served as

Governor of Batangas The governor of Batangas ( fil, Punong Lalawigan ng Batangas) is the local chief executive of the Philippine province of Batangas. The governor holds office at the Batangas Provincial Capitol in Batangas City and its residence is at the People's ...

from 1972 to 1980. Born to a distinguished Batangueño family renowned in both business and politics, he was married to Senator

Loren Legarda Lorna Regina "Loren" Bautista Legarda (born January 28, 1960) is a Filipina politician, environmentalist, cultural worker, and former journalist who is currently serving as a Senator and the president pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippine ...

, separated from her before the 2004 election campaign. The be-medalled Asian Games equestrienne

Toni Leviste Marie Antoinette Sarangaya "Toni" Leviste (born August 5, 1973), is a Filipina equestrian athlete. Leviste represented the Philippines in international competitions, such as the FEI World Cup Show, the Southeast Asian Games, the Asian ga ...

is his daughter from a previous marriage. Leviste was sentenced to six years in prison for the murder of his long-time aide, Rafael de las Alas. Leviste served his sentence at the National Bilibid Prison in

Muntinlupa Muntinlupa, officially the City of Muntinlupa ( fil, Lungsod ng Muntinlupa), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the ...

and on December 6, 2013, he was released after his parole was granted.

Career

Leviste graduated from the

Lyceum of the Philippines Lyceum of the Philippines University ( fil, Pamantasang Liseo ng Pilipinas) also referred to by its acronym LPU is a private, non-sectarian, coeducational higher education institution located at intramuros in the Manila, City of Manila, Phili ...

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 Ecosystem management is an approach to natural resource management that aims to ensure the long-term sustainability and persistence of an ecosystems function and services while meeting socioeconomic, political, and cultural needs. Although indige ...

. 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. Leviste was chosen the "Realtor of the Year" by the Business Writers Association of the Philippines and 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). He holds the rank of Lt. Commander in the Philippine Navy Reserve Force and is the Honorary Consul General of the State of Palestine. 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.

Conviction

On January 14, 2009, Leviste was convicted of homicide in the killing of his longtime friend and aide Rafael de las Alas. Leviste had admitted responsibility for de las Alas' death, claiming he only fired in self-defence. The Makati Regional Trial Court sentenced him to six to twelve years in prison.PRESS DIGEST – Philippine newspapers – Jan 15
January 15, 2009.

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...

. Retrieved on February 6, 2010. Leviste served his sentence at the National Bilibid Prison in

Release from imprisonment

On December 6, 2013, Leviste was released after six years in prison after his parole has been granted.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leviste, Antonio 1940 births Living people Governors of Batangas 20th-century Filipino businesspeople 20th-century Filipino lawyers People from Batangas Philippine Air Force personnel Tagalog people Lakas–CMD (1991) politicians Kilusang Bagong Lipunan politicians People's Reform Party politicians Converts to Islam Filipino Muslims Lyceum of the Philippines University alumni Filipinos convicted of murder Politicians convicted of murder 21st-century Filipino businesspeople