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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Leviste: Castro will 'make a fool of herself' once she confirms DPWH budget documents are legit

Leviste: Castro will 'make a fool of herself' once she confirms DPWH budget documents are legit

Published Dec 26, 2025 05:09 pm

At A Glance

  • Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro will "make a fool of herself" once she confirms that the DPWH budget figures released by Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste are legitimate.
Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste (left), PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro (Facebook)
Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste (left), PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro (Facebook)


Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro will "make a fool of herself" once she confirms that the DPWH budget figures released by Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste are legitimate.
The usually soft-spoken Leviste had this to say in a Zoom interview Friday, Dec. 26, as he doubled down on his call for Castro to confer with DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon regarding the authenticity of the documents he has been posting on his Facebook.
Leviste has been turning heads since he bared that former DPWH undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral--a key figure in the flood control projects corruption scandal--had turned over files to him.
Cabral then reportedly died last Dec. 18 after falling into a ravine in Benguet.
"Just to wrap up on the Cabral-DPWH documents. Like I said, Usec Claire Castro will make a fool of herself after she confirms the authenticity of the documents with Secretary Vince and many other people," Leviste said.
Since Dec. 24, the neophyte solon from Batangas has been dumping dozens of documents online about the DPWH budgets per congressional district covering the years 2023 to 2026.
According to him, the sheer inequality of the infrastructure funds can be deemed "irregular".
"What is irregular is that it is so unequal and cannot be explained, and yet it is still the basis of the budget, and that many people have asked this not to be released," Leviste said.
"I can clearly say it is being hidden from the public, and the public deserves to know where the budget is going," he said.
Earlier Friday, Castro reportedly said of Leviste: ""Why should this representation prove the alleged 'Cabral's files' he claims to possess? He has started bragging about them, so it is his responsibility to prove their authenticity. Why should he shift his responsibility to others?”
“We are not even aware if what he is in possession of are mere altered or fabricated documents. So, before anyone speaks and accuses someone, they should substantiate their claims with verified facts and documents,” she added.
Leviste said on Thursday night, Dec. 25: "I kindly ask USec Claire to confirm with Sec Vince the data, which were provided by DPWH with Sec Vince’s approval."
"Sec Vince and I discussed releasing the budget data to the public in September, but I understand if DPWH hasn’t released it yet, because many people on this list have asked me not to release it too," he said.
"I hope we can all support Sec Vince’s push for transparency in the DPWH, because we should be proud of the projects in our districts. If a district gets a ₱10 billion yearly budget, the DPWH uses that for projects, and an insertion doesn’t automatically mean there’s anything for the proponent," noted Leviste.
"DPWH can easily confirm this data, so the public can be informed on the allocations of each district and congressman," he said.
Leviste reportedly received the documents from Cabral last September.
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