DPWH chief says he can’t authenticate files he has yet to see
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon has rejected claims he has validated the so-called “Cabral list” in the possession of Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste.
“For the record, I have not authenticated any document in the possession of Cong. [Leviste], because I have yet to see the documents he was talking about. So how can I authenticate them?” Dizon said in an interview with GMA News.
Leviste earlier claimed Dizon knew the late former public works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral gave him in September a list showing all senators, district and party-list representatives, and even some officials from the executive department made insertions in the 2025 budget of the DPWH.
Dizon belied Dizon’s narrative, saying the Batangas solon forcibly got a copy of some files from the computer of one of Cabral’s staff.
“He forcibly got a copy of the files by using the computer of a staff member. Usec. Cabral told me this after he (Leviste) saved the files to his flash drive from the computer of a staff member,” he said, adding that Leviste appeared to be throwing his weight around.
As this developed, Senator Ping Lacson yesterday said documents he got from Cabral before her demise and from the DPWH showed at least five Cabinet members had “allocables and/or non-allocables amounting to billions in the 2025 budget.”
“At least five Cabinet secretaries and some undersecretaries had allocables and/or non-allocables, according to the documents. I was surprised at one entry that said ‘ES, P8 billion.’ How did one ‘ES’ get allocables?” he said in a radio interview.
He noted that former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan had allocables amounting to at least P30.5 billion.
“What is his right to the allocables? Also, I saw the other Cabinet secretaries getting P2 billion each. Why?” Lacson said.
The senator earlier urged the Palace not to dismiss the possibility that Cabinet officials had a hand in budget insertions.
Malacañang previously characterized Leviste’s supposed “Cabral list” as hearsay until it is officially verified by the DPWH.
“The Palace will only respond to documents that have been authenticated by the DPWH. Any documents outside of this will be regarded as hearsay or tsismis, which lack probative value,” Palace Press Office Claire Castro said.
As this developed, video footage obtained by the National Bureau of Investigation showed Cabral sitting between two concrete barriers along Kennon Road at 3:25 p.m. on December 18, which was consistent with the established timeline on her death.
The NBI said the dashcam footage, which was examined frame by frame, showed Cabral appeared to be alone.
