Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste is prodding Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon to make public all of his supposed connections to contractors.

Leviste made the call in a press conference Thursday, Oct 16 wherein the young congressman raised personal concerns about these alleged connections.

"I heard that Secretary Dizon and his team have connections with contractors and in the interest of transparency should disclose all of their connections with contractors and any knowledge that they have on the possibility of kickbacks from DPWH projects," he said.

"I'm asking Secretary Vince Dizon to disclose any and all of his team's connections with current, past, or potential future contractors of DPWH projects," added the neophyte solon.

Dizon is a lead figure in the investigation on anomalous and "ghost" flood control projects that have grabbed headlines for months. He took over as DPWH head last Sept. 2 amid the massive corruption scandal that has rocked the Marcos administration.

When told by a reporter that what he was saying was so far just hearsay, Leviste said: "I wouldn't want to say that Im acussing, but that I'm asking him (Dizon) to disclose and be transparent on whatever connections he or members of his team might have."

Leviste underscored that his remarks weren't political in nature.

"Again, Secretary Dizon has been regarded as a reformer and he has done a much better job of course that the one he replaced. But again, I think because of the public temperature right now, no one should be beyond scrutiny.

"So I think it’s only fair that we give Secretary Dizon the chance to be transparent and diclose if there's any truth to what we’re heard," he said.

Leviste cited "multiple sources" during the presser, but didn't name anybody.

Pressed for specific details, Leviste said: "Appointee of Secretary Dizon. Actually I was told it's not just one. So I was told appointees of Secretary Dizon are contractors."

"Kung sino ang kausap ko, 50 pa silang mas marami pa ang alam. Hindi nga expert ss DPWH yung kausap ko eh (Whoever my source is, there are 50 who know more. My source isn't even an expert on DPWH). A lot of people in this House know more than me, I'm just the one in front of you right now," he said.

Later, Leviste admitted that his source was "one of the acussed [in the flood control projects issue]".

In the middle of his presser, Leviste answered a phone call and discussed with the caller his allegation on the presence of contractors among DPWH officials. He didn't identify the caller out of respect for the person.

But he did say this: "You can derive from my conversation that he is from there, from DPWH."

"At least I can say that their response is, 'Kung mayroon man (contractors), tatanggalin nila (If there are contractors, we will remove them).'"

The Batangas lawmaker said Dizon would be considered a "hero" if he discoloses all such connections and grant his request to lower DPWH project costs by 25 percent--a portion of public funds that go to kickbacks.