MANILA, Philippines – DUDA ang Malakanyang sa di umano’y pag-leak ng mga dokumento ng Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Sinabi ng Malakanyang na wala itong “probative value,” kahit pa panindigan ni Batangas Representative Leandro Leviste na ang mga dokumento ay “authentic.”
Araw ng Huwebes, ipinalabas ni Leviste ang bagong set ng mga dokumento na ibinigay sa kanya ng namayapang Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral na nagdedetalye sa ‘summary of allocations’ ng DPWH sa bawat distrito, probinsiya at rehiyon mula 2023 hanggang 2026.
“The alleged Cabral lists or the DPWH leaks are still questionable. There is no proof that they really come from DPWH,” ayon kay Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary at Palace Press Officer Claire Castro.
“Unless the documents come from DPWH, we could not give the alleged ‘Cabral files’ or any list from an unknown source any probative value. It is nothing but hearsay and can be treated as mere fabricated documents,” ang sinabi ni Castro.
Idinagdag pa nito na “Nonetheless, nobody can even assert that such project pushed through.”
Tinuran pa ni Castro na ang burden o bigat ng pagpapatunay sa mga files na authentic ang mga ito ay nasa balikat ni 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,” ang pahayag ni Castro.
Subalit, iginiit ni Leviste na nakuha niya ang mga dokumento mula mula mismo kay DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon.
“I would like to repeat that Undersecretary Claire Castro will make a fool of herself when Secretary Vince and many others confirm the authenticity of the files that I uploaded,” ang sinabi ni Leviste sa isang Zoom press conference.
“I got the documents after Usec. Cabral had a phone call with [DPWH] Secretary Vince. And I talked with Secretary Vince about this being released to the public. And Sec. Vince said he agrees. I thought that Sec Vince was going to release this to the public in September and at the very least give it to the ICI and the Ombudsman,” dagdag na wika nito.
Sinabi pa ni Leviste na ipinakita niya ang Cabral files sa Independent Commission for Infrastructure at sa Office of the Ombudsman noong November.
“I showed the list to the ICI and the Ombudsman and they said it was the first time that they saw it but I showed it to them. So it should not be said why am I only doing this now after the death of Usec. Cabral because I showed this to the ICI and the Ombudsman in November. And only after that were there calls for it to be released and eventually they were released to the ICI and the Ombudsman or at least the Ombudsman,” anito.
Tutol naman si Leviste sa naunang pagpapabula ni DPWH chief Dizon na ang mga mambabatas ay hindi pinahihintulutan na magpanukala ng mga proyekto para pondohan sa ilalim ng National Expenditure Program o panukalang national budget ng Pangulo para sa 2026.
Tinukoy ni Leviste ang isang screenshot ng isang Viber group chat na may petsang June 10 na ipinadala sa kanya ng House appropriations committee, kung saan mababasa na “Good afternoon, chiefs. Please be reminded of the submission of hard and soft projects for fiscal year 2026.”
Idagdag pa rito, sa kaparehong Viber message, mababasa na, “P150 million infrastructure for district rep, P160 million infrastructure for party list rep, P30 million soft for district and party list rep.”
“Aminin na natin ang widely documented fact na bawat congressman ay pwedeng mag-insert ng P150 million sa NEP. Ito po ay ibinibigay natin sa June, at kasama sa lumalabas na NEP sa July. Ako po mismo ay nagsubmit. Lumabas ang mga multi-purpose buildings na para sa mga eskwelahan sa aking distrito. At sa sarili kong distrito, meron rin mga projects na lumabas sa NEP na in-insert ng ibang mga partylist,” ang litaniya ni Leviste. Kris Jose
