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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Publicity stunt': Gardiola hits Leviste for taking selfie with him

'Publicity stunt': Gardiola hits Leviste for taking selfie with him

Published Dec 2, 2025 03:52 pm

At A Glance

  • Construction Workers Solidarity (CWS) Party-list Rep. Edwin Gardiola slammed on Tuesday, Dec. 2 his House colleague, Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste and the latter's supposed media conspirator for carrying out a "planned publicity stunt" against him.
Construction Workers Solidarity (CWS) Party-list Rep. Edwin Gardiola (left), Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste (Facebook)
Construction Workers Solidarity (CWS) Party-list Rep. Edwin Gardiola (left), Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste (Facebook)


Construction Workers Solidarity (CWS) Party-list Rep. Edwin Gardiola slammed on Tuesday, Dec. 2 his House colleague, Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste and the latter's supposed media conspirator for carrying out a "planned publicity stunt" against him.
"I strongly deplore the planned publicity stunt carried out yesterday by Rep Leandro Leviste and his co-conspirator...Their actions constitute a serious breach of parliamentary decorum - a coordinated attempt to rage-bait, ridicule, and malign me for their own attention-seeking ends," Gardiola said in a statement.
Gardiola was referring to Leviste’s act of approaching him from behind and snapping a selfie with him during plenary session Monday, Dec. 1.
While Leviste was successful with this and even posted the now-viral selfie on Facebook, video clips of the incident showed that Gardiola was aloof with the Batangueño.
It was only last month when Leviste claimed that Gardiola was involved in what the former insinuated was the dubious "pre-ordering" of P20 billion worth of infrastructure project contracts in the 2025 national budget.
Gardiola has categorically denied Leviste’s allegations. At any rate, this gave proper context to Gardiola's misgivings about the selfie.
"While Cong. Leviste and the media outlet may view their behavior as trivial or 'funny', the intent was clear: to damage my reputation and undermine the integrity of the House of Representatives," he said.
"I call on Rep. Leviste and his media collaborators to respect the decorum of the House and the dignity of public service. The Filipino people deserve seriousness and integrity, not orchestrated disrespect," Gardiola added.
The CWS solon reckoned that the conduct shown by Leviste and the media conspirator had "absolutely no place in a civilized society where the presumption of innocence and the rule of law are the bedrock of every Filipino's constitutional right to due process".
"I will not allow cheap theatrics and fabricated drama to distract me from my work. I remain ready to face any allegation in the proper legal forum, not through sensationalized reports, manipulated online narratives, or manufactured 'selfies'," he further said.
The tension Monday between Gardiola and Leviste didn't end with the selfie.
Minutes later, during his explanation of his "no" vote on the suspension recommendation against Cavite 4th district Rep. Francisco "Kiko" Barzaga, Leviste hurled barbs against a certain colleague who according to observers was Gardiola.
"Ang boto ko ay 'no' lalo na dahil inuuna natin ang kaso niya kaysa sa mga mas seryosong isyung kinakaharap ng isa sa mga kasamahan natin. Isang kapwa ko Batangueño na nandito ngayon na bumoto sa kaso ni Cong. Barzaga," Leviste said.
(My vote is 'no,' especially because we are prioritizing his case over the more serious issues being faced by one of our colleagues. A fellow Batangueño who is here now and voted on the case of Cong. Barzaga.)
"Hindi ba nakakahiya maging miyembro ng Kongreso dahil parang naging normal na meron tayong isang kasamahan na inakusahan na nagbayad para sa mahigit ₱100 billion ng mga kontrata sa DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways)?" he said, referring to the issue of infrastructure-related corruption.
(Isn’t it shameful to be a member of Congress when it has almost become normal that we have a colleague accused of paying for more than ₱100 billion worth of contracts in the DPWH?)
Leviste had earlier tagged Gardiola as the "top DPWH contractor in Congress".
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