Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste anew flags an alleged ₱8-billion worth of proposed projects listed under the Office of the President (OP), citing concerns over their funding source and possible overpricing, particularly in infrastructure projects included in the national budget.
In an interview on DZRH’s Dos Por Dos, Leviste said the projects were listed in documents attributed to the late Undersecretary Catalina Cabral, commonly referred to as the “Cabral files.”
One entry in the list was labeled “OP (ES/SAP),” which he said could refer to the Office of the President through the Executive Secretary or the Special Assistant to the President.
Leviste said he decided to speak publicly after similar information was disclosed by Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson and reported by another media outlet, which he said supported the credibility of the documents.
“Noong nakita ko ‘yong mga pahayag na ito, naisip ko na talagang credible ang mga kopya namin na mga file at nirelease dahil tugma ang mga sinasabi namin at hindi siguro imbento ko o nila kung puro pare-pareho ang lumalabas,” Leviste said.
He stressed, however, that he was not drawing conclusions on who funded the projects, but was only citing what appeared in the list.
“Wala tayong mga conclusions base sa listahan, sinasabi ko lang ano ang nasa listahan na may 8-billion nga talaga para sa OP–ES.”
He also noted that Executive Secretary and former Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin has denied funding any ₱8-billion worth of projects through the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and has called for an investigation to determine who may have used the OP label.
Leviste said he personally reached out to Bersamin’s camp, which denied any knowledge of a ₱300-million street lighting project listed in Batangas under the same documents
According to Leviste, the street lights along the Tagaytay–Nasugbu highway have already been installed but appear to be overpriced, with an estimated cost of about ₱230,000 per unit.
He added that DPWH personnel indicated the project was not initiated by the local congressman, raising further questions about how it was funded and included in the budget
“We checked with them, kasi ‘yong spekulasyon nga ay kay ES ‘yong 8-billion pisong mga proyekto na ito. At masasabi ko po na sa aking paniniwala na hindi si ES ang nagpopondo 8-bilyong pisong mga proyekto sa DPWH.”
Leviste further said that about 60% of the alleged ₱8-billion allocation involved flood control projects, which he described as non-priority items often associated with budget irregularities. He said it was unacceptable for large projects to “suddenly appear” in the budget without clear accountability
The lawmaker urged the Congress to conduct an investigation regarding said allegations, citing Bersamin’s statement regarding a full investigation is necessary, stressing that the issue affects the integrity of the national budget.
“We cannot draw conclusions sino ang tunay na nagpopondo nito pero ang mabuti na lang po [ay] imbestigahan ng either House of Congress dahil malaking halaga ito.”
He reiterated that the “OP ES/SAP” label refers to an office rather than a specific individual and that authorities must determine who was responsible for inserting the projects into the budget.
