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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Self-serving motives?' Tinio advises Leviste on Cabral list exposé

'Self-serving motives?' Tinio advises Leviste on Cabral list exposé

Published Dec 26, 2025 12:57 am  |  Updated Dec 26, 2025 01:00 am

At A Glance

  • ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio gave valuable advice Thursday, Dec. 25 to neophyte Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste when it came to exposing files on earmarked funds for Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects.
Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste (left), ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio (Facebook)
Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste (left), ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio (Facebook)


ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio gave valuable advice Thursday, Dec. 25 to neophyte Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste when it came to exposing files on earmarked funds for Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects.
This, as Leviste has been publicly releasing for two days now dozens of pages of documents supposedly showing DPWH budget distribution figures in the country’s districts covering 2023 to 2026.
The list of data was reportedly given to him by former DPWH undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral before her mysterious death last Dec. 18.
For Tinio, Leviste's piecemeal release of information could come back to bite him.
"Rep. Leviste’s limited and partial release of the so-called Cabral files is welcome. So far, the information on the 'allocables' of district representatives is not new and has already been covered by recent investigative reports," the Makabayan solon said, referring to Leviste's Facebook posts Wednesday, Dec. 24 and Thursday, Dec. 25.
"He (Leviste) says the Cabral files hold information on everyone - party lists, senators, Malacañang officials, and the like," Tinio noted.
"It would be better if he released everything all at once and let the public decide on the credibility of the information. Otherwise, everyone will think that the selective disclosure is due to self-serving motives taking precedence over public interest," the deputy minority leader explained.
Tinio did not say what these self-serving motives could possibly be.
Leviste, 32 is the son of Senator Loren Legarda. He was a billionaire businessman before he transitioned to politics.
In the current 20th Congress, Leviste has fostered the image of a hardliner against infrastructure corruption, particularly after former DPWH Batangas 1st District Engineer Abelardo Calalo tried to offer him million-peso kickbacks to secure projects in his district.
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