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Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste

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Leviste alleges DPWH official offered extra funds after he questioned agency’s budget system

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste claimed on Friday that he was offered additional infrastructure funding allocation for his district last October, after he raised questions on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)&#x27;s budget system.</p><p>Leviste said the offer was made by a DPWH official during a phone call, which he answered in the middle of his press conference on the alleged links of some DPWH officials to contractors.</p><p>“I was being offered extra budget on that phone call, in the middle of the presscon. In the same breath of talking about my allegations against the new leadership in the DPWH, I was being offered extra budget. In the same breath that I was questioning the DPWH budget, I was being offered extra budget,” he said in a press conference.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/26/it-is-leviste-s-responsibility-to-prove-authenticity-of-cabral-files-malaca-ang-1521">It is Leviste’s ‘responsibility to prove authenticity’ of ‘Cabral files’ — Malacañang</a></div><p>Leviste added the phone call happened at a time when he was pushing for an overhaul of the DPWH’s proposed 2026 budget, questioning the allocation per district.</p><p>“I’ve been arguing, we should redo the whole DPWH budget system, so that districts like mine can get additional budget… What my proposal is dagdagan ang budget ng distrito ko, at ng ibang mga distrito na disadvantaged sa current system sa buong bansa. At tinawagan ako para sabihin ‘yung para sa distrito ko ibibigay nila. ‘Wag ko lang guluhin ‘yung DPWH budget system sa buong bansa,” he said.</p><p>“I’m asking for extra budget for classrooms in the first district of Batangas, and on the phone I was told, “we will give you extra budget for your district”. If you read between the lines, that means, “you don’t question our budget, and we’ll give you your budget”,” Leviste added.</p><p>Asked whether he thinks the offer was a “bribe”, Leviste answered in the affirmative. He said funding for classrooms in his district later increased, but he continues to question the budget anyway.</p><p>“Exactly! And that’s why tuloy-tuloy akong nagkkwestyon pa sa DPWH budget system sa buong bansa (45:35) The fact that I’m continuing to question the DPWH budget system is showing na hindi ako mabibili ng anumang budget,” he asserted.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/8/24/dpwh-district-engineer-arrested-for-allegedly-trying-to-bribe-batangas-solon-2153">DPWH district engineer arrested for allegedly trying to bribe Batangas solon</a></div><p>Leviste said his experience showed that the budget can be used as “leverage” over members of Congress.</p><p>“Ang pinag-usapan sa telepono ay ang budget ng distrito ko. Ayoko naman maapektuhan ang budget ng distrito ko, dahil sa ginagawa ko ngayon… The fact na tinawagan ako tungkol sa budget ng distrito ko sa gitna ng aking presscon, alone, is proof na ang budget ay ina-allocate din for purposes other than the need of the districts. At minsan ay ito nga rin ay ginagamit bilang leverage over members of Congress,” he said.</p><div> </div><div><strong>NOT THE FULL PICTURE</strong></div><p>Over the last couple of days, Leviste released documents showing alleged infrastructure allocation per district from 2023 to 2026. Some of the documents on the 2025 DPWH budget, he said, were from former DPWH Undesecretary Catalina Cabral.</p><p>The supposed Cabral documents showed the allocables and outside allocables per district for 2025.</p><p>“Ayon sa mga files na ito, P401.3 billion ang allocable budget sa taong 2025, at ang non-allocable o outside allocable ayon sa files na ito ay nasa P600 billion plus. Ang P401 billion na ito ay ang district congressman pwedeng mag-errata o amend. Ang outside allocable naman po ay iba ang nagpo-propose ng mga proyekto. Maaaring mayroon ding input or mayroong ding alokasyon ang district congressmen sa outside allocable. Allocable budget in itself is also irregular,” Leviste said.</p><p>He clarified, though, that district congresmen are not the proponents for the entire allocable budget.</p><p>Leviste said the documents alone do not show the “full picture” for possible cases, but it could be useful for further investigation.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/25/leviste-shares-summary-of-alleged-p3-5-t-dpwh-district-allocations-for-2023-2026-1823">Leviste shares summary of alleged P3.5-T DPWH district allocations for 2023–2026</a></div><p>“The budget data is not the full picture to file a case, but it should have been given to the ICI and to the Ombudsman since September,” he said.</p><p>“I want to invite the DPWH to comment… The inequitable distribution of budgets disregarding population and the needs of the people is irregular, especially when you see that there are small districts that have many times more the budgets of big districts like mine in Batangas and others in the country. And nagkakataon ‘yung distrito na may malaking budget ay distrito na maraming mga contractor,”Leviste added.</p><p>He also stood by the authenticity of the alleged Cabral documents he released.</p><p>“Walang dahilan na mag-cast doubt si Usec. Castro sa in-upload kong data. I’m sorry to say this, but I think she will make a fool of herself. Because Sec. Vince and others in DPWH, and others in Congress will confirm the authenticity of the files that I uploaded,” Leviste said.</p><p>ACT Teachers Party List Representative Antonio Tinio, meanwhile, urged Leviste to release all his information on the DPWH, and just let the public be the judge if it is credible.</p><p>“Malinaw na hindi buo o kumpleto yung inilabas ni Cong. Leviste so far of the Cabral files. So far ‘yung information ay tungkol lamang sa congressional representatives… Wala pa doon ‘yung party list, and certainly, wala pa doon ‘yung senator. Wala rin ‘yung other officials including Malacanang officials, na siya mismo rin ang nagbanggit na kasama mismo sa files daw ni Cabral,” he said.</p><p>“Importanteng malaman kung sino ang proponents, kasi kung may corruption, sila ang tumatanggap ng kickback,” Tinio noted.</p>

<p>Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste claimed on Friday that he was offered additional infrastructure funding allocation for his district last October, after he raised questions on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)'s budget system.</p>

Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste claimed on Friday that he was offered additional infrastructure funding allocation for his district last October, after he raised questions on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)'s budget system.

Leviste claims DPWH official offered 'extra funds' after he questioned budget system

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Leviste claims DPWH official offered 'extra funds' after he questioned budget system

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 26, 2025 08:35 PM PHT

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Leandro Leviste

Department of Public Works and Highways

DPWH

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