MANILA, Philippines — Batangas First District Rep. Leandro Leviste has filed charges against the district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Batangas who tried to bribe him for P3.16 million.
Leviste filed Direct Bribery, Corruption of Public Officials, violation of the Anti Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials against DPWH District Engineer Abelardo Calalo at the Office of Provincial Prosecutor of Batangas on Tuesday morning.
Speaking to reporters, Leviste said that his case was not just about the bribe, but to give him kickbacks from DPWH projects reserved for a congressman in the first district of Batangas.
“This goes beyond a P3.1 million bribe, but rather up to over P300 million annually of SOPs or kickbacks from DPWH projects reserved for a Congressman of the First District of Batangas,” Leviste said.
In his sworn statement, Calalo reportedly explained to him that contractors were willing to give him 5 percent to 10 percent of the P3.6 billion in district projects, equivalent to P180 million to P360 million, as “support” for his educational programs.
One contractor, added Leviste, was reportedly prepared to withdraw an initial P15 million, while the P3.1 million presented by Calalo represented 3 percent of a P104 million project, with receipts included in the cash provided.
His statement also revealed alleged irregularities in project awards in his district, with Leviste claiming that the bidding processes were not genuinely conducted, contractors allegedly pre-selected by the lawmaker, and giving SOP’s (standard operating procedures).
Calalo, according to the statement, named several of the largest contractors in the district and their links to previous officeholders.
“If I had agreed, meetings with contractors would have taken place this week, potentially generating hundreds of millions of pesos in kickbacks from 2025 projects. Over three years, the total kickbacks reserved for a Congressman of a First District of Batangas could exceed one billion pesos,” Leviste said.
He urged Calalo and other former and current DPWH employees or contractors to become state witnesses to hold accountable those who benefited from this system of corruption.
