Palace: Files not vetted by DPWH ‘tsismis’ w/out probative value
Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste on Wednesday 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 Department of Public Works and Highways, leaving out details on senators and party-list solons.
A separate so-called “DPWH Leaks” reported by Bilyonaryo News Channel claimed Senator Francis Escudero had the highest budget request in the 2025 National Expenditure Program at P3 billion for 34 infrastructure projects while former senator and current Education Secretary Sonny Angara had the greatest number of requested projects at 105 with a total worth of P2 billion.
Malacañang, however, said it will respond only to documents officially authenticated by the DPWH amid reports of the so-called “Cabral list” of the late former public works undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral.
“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,” 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.
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.
The “summary file” of the allocable amounts of district representatives which Leviste posted on his social media page identified the said amounts as NEP restored.
The Batangas solon said this totaled about P401.3 billion for the 2025 budget after an increase of roughly P30 million per district, although actual district shares vary.
Beyond the allocable portion, the file also detailed funds that originated from various proponents and budget amendments made during deliberations in the House, Senate, bicameral conference committee, and even within the National Expenditure Program, he said.
“To be clear, these budgets are used by the DPWH for projects and not for the proponents, and most of the funding falls outside the allocable portion of district representatives and comes from other proponents. It’s important for the public to understand the contents of the DPWH budget so the projects can be properly appreciated,” he said.
Leviste said that while the names of district lawmakers appeared in the file, this does not mean they are the proponents of the entire budget, as the majority of allocations came from other sources and decision points.
He also expressed hope that the DPWH would ultimately make the complete records accessible.
“I still hope they will release everything to the public, and at the very least share copies of everything shown in this image of the turnover of files from the DPWH to the Ombudsman. Even though this has not yet been done, we have already taken some steps to make information about the DPWH budget public,” the lawmaker said on his Facebook page.
As for the so-called “DPWH Leaks,” Bilyonaryo said Senator Imee Marcos had the second highest budget request at P2.5 billion for 28 infrastructure projects, followed by Angara.
Bilyonaryo said senators in the 19th Congress who approved the 2025 national spending plan had a total budget request of P20.8 billion.
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and his sister, Senator Pia Cayetano, have jointly requested P1.57 billion to fund 14 projects, while former senator Grace Poe has 11 projects valued at P1.5 billion.
Senators Mark Villar, Raffy Tulfo, Juan Miguel Zubiri, and former senator Ramon Revilla Jr. have all submitted requests of P1 billion to finance a combined total of 35 projects.
Senator Risa Hontiveros had the lowest budget request in last year’s NEP, amounting to P105,356, Bilyonaryo said.
Leviste earlier claimed all senators had insertions in the DPWH’s 2025 budget, including his mother, Senator Loren Legarda at P1 billion based on the supposed “Cabral list” he has.
In the “DPWH Leaks,” Bilyonaryo said the document also listed five projects each for Bong Go, Ronald dela Rosa, Lito Lapid and Francis Tolentino; four each for Legarda, Sherwin Gatchalian and Nancy Binay; two each for JV Ejercito, Robin Padilla, Manny Pacquiao; and one project for Hontiveros.
The Department of Justice earlier said the so-called “Cabral list” must first be filed as formal evidence before it can be used, along with testimonies alleging that such a list exists.
“Further, the list has to be corroborated by evidence other than the list itself. It cannot by itself stand as proof, so there lies the challenge. These are the stringent rules of evidence. Once the pieces of evidence are filed, we will ensure that these are all accurately scrutinized and verified,” DOJ spokesman Polo Martinez said.
The Ombudsman on Monday issued a subpoena duces tecum directing the DPWH to immediately produce all computer and electronic devices issued to Cabral.
The DPWH on Tuesday turned over files which it said were “documents and other requests for consideration in the programming of NEP (National Expenditure Program) in the last 10 years, among others,” but did not say if the so-called Cabral list was already included.
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.
