Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste turned emotional during a Zoom interview Friday, Dec. 26 as he recalled how a certain Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official exerted "leverage" on him when it came to his request for additional budget for the construction of classrooms.

In the interview, Leviste--who in the middle of the holidays has been exposing DPWH budget figures per congressional district--was asked if he was wary of his own House of Representatives colleagues turning against him because of his actions.

Instead of giving a direct answer, Leviste recalled his press conference last Oct. 16 at the House ofwherein he flagged DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon's supposed hiring of agency contractors to executive positions.

"Noong Oct. 16, nag-press briefing ako tungkol sa mga contactor-appointees ng DPWH, na ako ay nagpapasalamat, a few weeks ago inamin ni Secretary Vince at ng DPWH na tama ako. Dalawa ng mga appointees ng bagong liderato ng DPWH ay mismong contractor ng DPWH," he said.

(Last Oct. 16, I held a press briefing about the contractor-appointees of the DPWH, for which I am thankful. A few weeks ago, Secretary Vince and the DPWH admitted that I was correct. Two of the appointees of the new leadership of the DPWH are themselves contractors of the DPWH.)

(When I was giving that press briefing, may tumawag po sa akin na mataas na opisyal ng DPWH on behalf of Vince Dizon (a high-ranking official of the DPWH called me on behalf of Vince Dizon.)

The 32-year-old then gave a noticeable pause before continuing: "Ang pinag-usapan sa telepono ay ang budget ng distrito ko (My district's budget was discussed over the phone)."

Tears welled up in Leviste’s eyes as he said: "Ayoko naman na maapektuhan ang budget ng distrito ko dahil sa ginagawa ko ngayon (I don't want my district's budget to be affected by what I'm doing right now)."

"Pero ako po ay nagtitiwala na dahil tama naman na makaman ng publiko ang budget ng bawat distrito, the fact na tinawagan ako tungkol sa budget ng distrito ko sa gitna ng aking presscon alone is proof na ang budget ay ina-allocate din for purposes other than the need of the districts," he said.

(But I trust that, since it is right for the public to know the budget of each district, the very fact that I was called about the budget of my district in the middle of my press conference alone is proof that the budget is also being allocated for purposes other than the needs of the districts.)

"At minsan ito nga din ay ginagamit bilang leverage over members of Congress. Pero nagtitiwala po ako na hindi maaapektuhan ang budget ng distrito ko dahil sa ginawa ko ngayon," noted the rookie legislator.

(And sometimes this is even used as leverage over members of Congress. But I trust that the budget of my district will not be affected because of what I did today.)

After wiping his nose with tissue paper, Leviste added in a raised voice: ""Pero yan po ang dahilan na pinatawag ako sa gitna ng press briefing para ipaalala sa akin ang budget ng distrito ko."

(But that's the reason why they had someone call me in the middle of the presa briefing, to remind me of my districts budget.)

Later in the interview, Leviste said that the caller, who he didn't name, actually offered to increase his budget for Infrastructure projects, particularly classrooms.

"That's what was being offered on the phone and I said, I don't want it just for my district, I want the DPWH budget to be fixed for the whole country," he said, as he reiterated his position for a more equitable distribution of the agency's budget.

"I'm asking for extra budget for classrooms in the first district of Batangas. And on the phone I was told, we will give you extra budget for your district," he noted.

Although not directly stated to him, Leviste believed that the caller wanted to silence him in exchange for the extra allocation.

"In the same breath of talking about my allegations against the new leadership of the DPWH, I was being offered extra budget.

"If you read between the lines that means, you don't question our budget, and we'll give you your budget. That's what I'm saying," the billionaire businessman-turned politician said.

"My argument from the beginning--also publicly stated--is that there should be logic behind the budget allocation. And the current system disadvantages cerrain regions," he said.

"If you look at what my proposal is, dagdagan ng budget ang distrito ko at ng ibang mga distrito na disadvantaged sa current system sa buong bansa.

(If you look at what my proposal is, it is to increase the budget of my district and of other districts that are disadvantaged under the current system across the country.)

"At tinawagan ako para sabihin, yung para sa distrito ko, ibibigay nila. Wag ko lang guluhin yung DPWH budget system sa buong bansa."

(And I was called to be told that, as for my district, they will give it. For as long as I don’t disturb the DPWH budget system in the entire country)," Leviste added.

Asked if Leviste thought the offer was a bribe, he replied, "Exactly."