Joins other lawmakers, Palace in challenging Leviste’s claims
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian added his voice in rejecting claims of Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste that all senators and congressmen, both district and party-list, made insertions in the 2025 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Gatchalian was the third lawmaker to date to challenge Leviste’s statement, which the Batangas solon said was based on the so-called “Cabral list” that was supposedly given to him by the late DPWH undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral in September.
Gatchalian said he never requested the DPWH to add projects to the National Expenditure Program at any point during his term.
“At no time did I make such a request. In fact, I have never met nor spoken with former Undersecretary Cathy Cabral since I assumed office,” he said.
“When LGUs approach us to seek assistance related to any social service or infrastructure project, our role is limited to connecting them or referring them to the appropriate agency, and we do not control whatever actions they may take,” the senator added.
Gatchalian described the circulating claims as lacking in factual basis and unsupported by credible evidence.
Malacañang earlier described Leviste’s so-called “Cabral list” as hearsay until it is officially authenticated by the DPWH.
“The Palace will only respond to the documents authenticated by DPWH. Other than these, they will all be considered as hearsay or tsismis which have no probative value,” Palace Press Office Claire Castro said.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon has not made any public statement yet confirming or denying the supposed list which Leviste claims was given to him by Cabral.
Two Senate and House leaders earlier challenged Leviste’s disclosure.
“Congressman Leviste should at least qualify his statement with the phrase ‘in the 19th Congress’ in fairness to the new members of the 20th Congress, including myself and Senate President Vicente Sotto III, among others,” Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said.
Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, whom Leviste named in a previous radio interview as having a “standard” insertion of P150 million along with other district and party-list lawmakers, said the Batangas solon must be “made accountable” for peddling “fake news.”
“He needs to be made accountable for making a false accusation that I made an insertion in the 2025 budget,” said Ridon, who was not part of the 19th Congress that passed the 2025 budget. “Congressman Leviste is a super liar.”
On Wednesday, Leviste made a partial disclosure of the so-called “Cabral list,” but limited it to a summary of the “allocable” funds that district representatives recommended for the 2025 budget of the DPWH, leaving out details on senators and party-list solons.
Leviste previously said he “showed” a copy of the list to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure on Nov. 19 and to Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Nov. 26.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano, however, said the Ombudsman does not have a copy of the so-called “Cabral list” and urged those who have it to turn it over.
Cabral served as DPWH Undersecretary for Planning and Public-Private Partnership from 2014 until her resignation in September this year after being implicated in allegedly anomalous flood control projects.
Former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo earlier told a Senate hearing that Cabral created the so-called “allocable” system where lawmakers can make insertions in the DPWH budget.
