Batangas 1st District Representative, Congressman Leandro Leviste is set to file a formal complaint against Abelardo Calalo, district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, at the Batangas Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, reported by RH 12 Milky Rigonan.
This comes after Calalo was arrested and detained on Friday, August 22, for allegedly attempting to bribe Leviste with P3.13 million in exchange for dropping the investigation of the flood control anomaly in Batangas.
Leviste confirmed that he will personally go to the court to file charges against Calalo, stating that this move is only the beginning of a broader effort to expose alleged irregularities and substandard flood control projects in the province.
The congressman also inspected the Binambang flood control project in Batangas, which he described as defective and unable to withstand the flooding brought by the past typhoon Kristine.
The project, reportedly constructed by four contractors, was funded with a total of P388 million during the 18th and 19th Congress.
Meanwhile, Leviste has yet to confirm whether he will participate in the ongoing investigation by the House Tri-Committee on Infrastructure.
Additionally, he explained that gathering solid evidence through on-site inspections should take precedence over attending hearings, as the evidence will not come from whistleblowers or witnesses but will only come from visiting the projects to prove that the people's funds were indeed squandered.
