Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste questioned a multibillion-peso increase in the House of Representatives’ budget, raising concerns over alleged undeclared incentives, weak transparency in Maintenance, Operating, and Other Expenses (MOOE), and the possible funding of social media consultants or so-called “keyboard warriors.”
Speaking on DZRH’s Special on Saturday, Leviste said information shown to him by staff of the House committee on appropriations indicated that lawmakers receive different incentives based on their rank and position in the House of Representatives.
However, he said there were other incentives that were not declared in budget line items and were instead embedded in lump-sum allocations, particularly under the House’s MOOE.
Leviste said this was the first time such issues were being discussed publicly on a radio program, describing the matter as something usually kept from public scrutiny.
“Para sa ipinakita sa akin ng staff ng committee on appropriations, ang pagkakaintindi ko dahil ang aking mga kasamahan ay may iba-ibang mga incentives din depende sa kanilang rangko sa HoR, ito nga ay batay sa kanilang posisyon sa HoR.”
He pointed out that the National Expenditure Program (NEP) from the executive branch allocated about ₱17.2 billion for the House of Representatives.
He further said the House later increased its own budget by ₱10.5 billion in the General Appropriations Bill, bringing the total to nearly ₱28 billion, without debate or explanation on how the additional funds would be used.
Social Media Consultants or “Keyboard Warriors” for lawmakers
According to Leviste, about ₱7.8 billion of the increase was placed under MOOE, a portion of which he claimed was not properly liquidated. He said some House consultants had told him they were allegedly paid in cash, sometimes delivered in bags or backpacks.
“Ang majority nito mga 7.8 billion ay napupunta sa MOOE [Maintenance, Operating, and Other Expenses] na ang malaking bahagi ay hindi nililiquidate. May iilan nang consultant ng House of Representatives na nakausap ko na ang sabi sa akin na sila ay binabayaran ng cash sa supot, ang iba nga ay cash sa backpack. May nagbiro baka ‘yong iba baka cash sa maleta,” Leviste said.
Leviste urged House leadership to declare consultants funded through MOOE to avoid what he described as secretive payment practices.
He further alleged that some members of Congress were given “slots” for social media consultants, with some reportedly having 10 slots and others as many as 100. These consultants, he said, allegedly act as “keyboard warriors” or “trolls” who comment on Facebook posts related to national issues.
Leviste said he was informed of meetings and seminars allegedly conducted to organize and train social media consultants for various lawmakers.
He noted that the ₱7.8 billion increase in MOOE was approved without any budget hearing or debate, adding that it was not far-fetched to assume that part of the funds could be going to these consultants.
“Narinig ko mula sa ibang mga kongresista na meron nga silang slots para sa mga social media consultants at ‘yong iba namang consultants ay binabayaran ng cash na naka-supot o backpack, hindi malayong isipin na bahagi ng MOOE na ito ay napupunta diyan.”
The congressman also claimed that a significant portion of MOOE may be going directly to members of Congress. While some lawmakers may use the funds for their constituents, Leviste said there were serious questions over the lack of transparency and liquidation, likening MOOE to confidential or intelligence funds that are larger in scale but receive less public attention.
₱33 Million per lawmaker estimate
Leviste said that if the ₱10.5 billion increase were divided among the House’s 318 members, it would amount to about ₱33 million per lawmaker. He cited reports that attendance during budget approval days was unusually high because the distribution of MOOE was allegedly timed with the voting on the budget.
He also claimed he does not take his alleged share of the MOOE increase, but warned that unclaimed amounts could be redistributed to others.
Leviste questioned whether MOOE allocations were equal among lawmakers and what basis was used, noting the absence of declared line items specifying individual shares.
With the approval of the 2026 national budget scheduled for Monday, Leviste called on House leadership to clearly explain, for the first time, where the entire MOOE allocation would go, particularly the ₱7.8 billion increase that he said was approved without debate.
