Leviste Presses Release of DPWH Insertion Files

Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste 

Leviste Presses Release of DPWH Insertion Files

By Wilma N. Yamzon – TheNATIONWEEK.com l December 22, 2025

MANILA, Philippines — Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste is stepping up calls for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to release files detailing the proponents behind budget insertions for infrastructure projects nationwide.

The controversy centers on documents provided to Leviste by the late DPWH Undersecretary Catalina Cabral, allegedly on the direction of Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon.

The documents name individuals and entities responsible for inserting budgets for DPWH projects.

Leviste claimed that on Sept. 4, Cabral provided him with a comprehensive list of proponents of projects for budget insertions.

Dizon reportedly ordered officials to release information on the issue in the interest of the public and for the sake of transparency.

“DPWH Undersecretary Catalina Cabral gave me files listing the proponents of DPWH budget insertions for the whole country on Sept. 4, after Secretary Dizon told her on the phone to release them to me in the interest of transparency,” Leviste said.

Since receiving the documents, he has faced mounting pressure to make them public.

However, he later preferred that the DPWH take the lead in releasing the information.

He has shared the files with the Integrity Committee of the House of Representatives on Nov. 18 and 19 and the Ombudsman on Nov. 26, who deemed the files valuable for ongoing investigations into the anomalous flood control projects.

Leviste also noted that he had released information on the proponents within his congressional capacity.

The lawmaker’s reluctance to release the files stems from the potentially explosive nature of their contents.

According to Leviste, the documents identify proponents of flood control and other DPWH projects from across the government, including not only members of Congress and the Senate but also individuals within the Executive branch, such as secretaries and undersecretaries, as well as private citizens.

“The release of the files would have wide-ranging consequences,” he explained.

“So as not to compromise my work in Congress, I would prefer that the DPWH be the one to decide on releasing these files to the public.”

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon has yet to authorize the release of the files.

Leviste expressed his concern for the safety of DPWH personnel who possess copies of the files and the preservation of all such documents.

He underscored the importance of protecting whistleblowers and ensuring the integrity of the investigation.