Congress Under Fire: Lawmaker Bares Unexplained ₱10.5-B Budget Hike

Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste

Congress Under Fire: Lawmaker Bares Unexplained ₱10.5-B Budget Hike

By Bing Jabadan – TheNATIONWEEK.Com | December 29, 2025

MANILA, Philippines – A firestorm of controversy has erupted within Congress as Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste has publicly challenged a massive ₱10.5-billion increase in the legislative body’s internal budget.

Leviste alleged that the increase, which inflates Congress’s budget from ₱17.20 billion to ₱27.70 billion, was approved without proper explanation, debate, or transparency.

He expressed his concerns about the process and the potential misuse of public funds.

“I’m not only questioning the outcome but the process,” he said.

“Why was no explanation given for the need for this increase, and why is no one speaking up on this? There was no committee hearing, this was not in the committee report, and it just appeared in the substitute bill.”

Leviste further revealed that his requests for a detailed breakdown of the additional funds from the committee in charge of the budget have been met with silence.

He emphasized the public’s right to know how the entire ₱27.70 billion, particularly the unexplained ₱10.50 billion increase, will be spent.

With the 2026 budget set for ratification on Dec. 29, time is running out for Congress to address these serious allegations.

The core of Leviste’s concerns centers on the dramatic increase in maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), which surged from ₱10.75 billion to ₱18.58 billion.

He highlighted the alarming practice of liquidating a significant portion of these funds “by certification,” a process that lacks stringent oversight and raises concerns about potential misappropriation.

“In a 318-member body, this translates to ₱58.42 million per congressman per year,” Leviste pointed out.

While acknowledging that lawmakers have legitimate expenses for their offices and official functions, and that the MOOE budget also covers the operating expenses of Congress itself, he raised serious questions about the lack of transparency and accountability surrounding these funds.

Leviste alleged that congressmen receive a monthly MOOE budget, along with bonuses timed to coincide with the budget approval process in October and December.

He is currently investigating the precise amount of MOOE received by individual members, noting that allocations are unevenly distributed and treated confidentially, even within Congress.

As a matter of principle, Leviste stated he refuses to accept his salary or MOOE due to his reservations about the budget.

Beyond individual expenses, Leviste believes the MOOE budget is also being used to pay for a shadowy network of consultants.

He shared anecdotal accounts from individuals claiming to work as House consultants, who allege they are paid in cash, often delivered discreetly in bags or briefcases.

“Given these are public funds, why can’t we declare who all these consultants are and what they do?” he demanded.

Adding fuel to the fire, Leviste revealed that the House has allocated slots for 10 to 100 consultants per congressman under the Congressional Assistance, Response, and Education program.

These consultants, allegedly paid ₱15,000 per month, are purportedly serving as “keyboard warriors,” raising concerns that taxpayer money is being used to fund social media trolls tasked with attacking critics of the government.

This alleged activity is being financed through the unexplained ₱18.58 billion House MOOE budget.

In another revelation, Leviste claimed that a staff member of the House Committee on Appropriations secretly showed him a document detailing ₱151 million in budget items, allegedly telling him, “Cong, this is your incentive,” just a week before the vote on the 2026 budget.

Leviste called on his colleagues to publicly disclose any benefits they receive from the House MOOE budget and other “incentives” before Congress ratifies the 2026 budget.

His actions have ignited a fierce debate within Congress and sparked public outrage, demanding greater transparency and accountability in the handling of public funds.