Batangas 1st District Representative, Leandro Leviste, said he is not concerned about the possibility of facing a House ethics complaint over allegations that he forcibly obtained copies of the ‘Cabral files’.
In a televised interview on Wednesday, December 31, Leviste denied claims that his disclosures are a form of grandstanding, asserting that he would welcome an ethics complaint against him.
“I would enjoy that because it would give me the opportunity to air more of the dirty laundry of Congress with a reason to do so,” he told ANC.
This statement comes in response to House Committee on Public Accounts Chairperson Terry Ridon, who indicated that Leviste might face a potential ethics complaint over the alleged unlawful acquisition of the “Cabral files.”
Ridon said that while the contents of the files raise serious concerns, the House must also examine how the documents were obtained.
He added that if the account given by the DPWH is accurate, the manner in which the files were acquired would be inappropriate for a lawmaker.
To recall, reports from Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) employees indicate that Leviste forcibly took documents from Cabral’s office, resulting in her receiving a minor paper cut, as shown in photographs released by the agency.
However, Leviste maintained that DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon had authenticated the files in his possession.
Earlier, Dizon refuted Leviste’s claim that he had permitted him to acquire a copy of the “Cabral files,” stating instead that the Batangas lawmaker forcibly took a copy of the document from a computer in Cabral’s office.
