Marilyn Cahatol

Speaker Martin Romualdez delivers his speech as he steps down from his post as Speaker of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, September 17, 2025. Members of the 20th Congress of the Lower House are currently casting their votes for the next Speaker of the House, with Isabela 6th District Rep. Faustino 'Bojie' Dy III poised to take over the chamber’s leadership. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste claimed on Monday that some congressmen received a P2 million “Christmas bonus.&quot;</p><p>Leviste alleged that the release of the supposed bonus coincides with the week when the lower chamber ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed 2026 national budget.</p><p>“Mayroon P2 million cash na pwedeng i-pick up ng mga congressman ngayong linggong ito. At baka ‘yung iba, mas mataas, baka ‘yung iba for whatever reason, hindi binibigyan. Hindi ko po alam kasi hindi ko po kinukuha ‘yung akin. Pero mabuti po na malaman ng publiko, may ganitong klaseng mga bonus na nagkataon ay halos kasabay ng approval ng budget,” Leviste said in an interview.</p><p>The lawmaker also claimed that last October, when the House of Representatives approved the proposed 2026 budget on third and final reading, some lawmakers also received P1.5 million. He said these funds were sourced from the lower chamber’s budget for maintenance and other operating expenses.</p><p>“Noong Oktubre din, dagdagdagan ko po, may P1.5 million na ibinigay sa araw ng pagboto para sa budget,” Leviste said.</p><p>“At buwan-buwan, mayroon pong mahigit kumulang P1 million per member. Ang lumalabas po ang isang representante ay may P20 million of MOOE at sweldo kada taon,” he alleged.</p><p>Leviste made the allegations after he failed to deliver a privilege speech or explain his vote against the ratification of the proposed 2026 budget during the House plenary session on Monday.</p><p>The lawmaker said he wanted to question the more than P10 billion increase in the House of Representatives’ proposed budget for next year, which Leviste claimed was not debated on the floor.</p><p>“In some ways po, maaari natin sabihin na ang itinaas ng Kongreso para sa sarili ay napupunta balik sa mga nag-decide na itaas ang sariling budget,” Leviste said.</p><p>House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson and Nueva Ecija 1st District Representative Mikaela Suansing “vehemently” denied Leviste’s claims.</p><p>“I vehemently deny that. I don&#x27;t want to speak ill of anyone, especially my colleagues in the House, but there is no truth to that at all,” Suansing said.</p><p>“The House leadership does not influence or try to influence any particular congressman, any individual member of Congress to vote in a particular way or incentivize them in any way,” she added.</p><p>House Deputy Speaker and Anitpolo City 1st District Representative Ronaldo Puno also denied congressmen received Christmas bonus.</p><p>“It&#x27;s not a Christmas bonus. It is an additional funding for your Christmas requirements in your district. So, again, naka-record lahat yan. May COA naman dyan... Magki-Christmas party ka sa mga barangay captain mo, mag-health activity ka, you will do mga consultations,“ he said.</p><div>  </div><div><strong>INCENTIVES</strong></div><p>Puno also denied allocation for government programs were given as “incentives” to congressmen, as Leviste previously claimed.</p><p>He explained that congressmen were given opportunity to recommend infrastructure and soft projects up to a maximum of P150 million, but he stressed that the agencies evaluate the recommended projects and have the final say on the matter.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/26/leviste-claims-dpwh-official-offered-extra-funds-after-he-questioned-budget-system-2035">Leviste claims DPWH official offered &#x27;extra funds&#x27; after he questioned budget system</a></div><p>Puno noted that it is part of their job as representatives of their respective districts to recommend projects that will benefit their constituencies.</p><p>“Kasi we&#x27;re supposed to verify and to watch, to oversee, ‘di ba? Kung minsan may hindi sila nakita, nakalimutan nila. They are not always in your district. So there are projects there, there are concerns and needs na sometimes, congressman lang ang nakakaalam. So what they did was, they put a certain amount for us to make recommendations,“ Puno explained.</p><p>“Magbibigay ng number yung Public Works District Engineer na sabihin nila, Cong, maglalagay ako ng siguro about P100 million of the whatever billion, tapos maglista ka ng mga projects kung ano’ng hindi pa namin naisasama na sa tingin ninyo kailangan. So maglilista kami ngayon ng projects. Halimbawa P100 million yung bakante. Maglalagay ako ng P200 million na proposal, siya ngayon ang mamimili kung alin doon yung isasama niya. Yun yung allocable. Hindi allocable ibig sabihin kami yung magagasta niyan, kami yung magsasabi. Hindi, babalik pa rin sa DPWH yan, sila magsasabi saan pupunta yun... Hindi allocable na pinaghatian,“ he added.</p><p>“There is nothing irregular… Alam mo si Cong. Leviste, I like the fact na he is a young congressman na very active and mukhang looking into every corner. But you have to study a little bit more siguro, kasi hindi naman ‘yung explanation niya ang totoo eh. Pumunta raw sa kanya somebody’s assistant, &#x27;O, I have P150M for you para bumoto ka.&#x27; Kalokohan ‘yun,” Puno stressed.</p><p>Leviste <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/26/leviste-claims-allocation-for-gov-t-programs-given-as-incentives-2143">claimed </a>on Friday that on September 30, he received a message from someone, who introduced herself as from the Office of House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Mikaela Suansing. The person supposedly met with him to hand him a paper containing a list of government projects with corresponding allocation, which she called “incentive”.</p><p>Suansing denied the allegation. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/29/palace-dpwh-gave-leviste-2026-proposed-budget-not-2025-budget-list-1649">Palace: DPWH gave Leviste 2026 proposed budget, not 2025 list of alleged &#x27;allocables&#x27;</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nBic8k09LLQ?si=Oh-x_oD8LzGIPW5t" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste claimed on Monday that some congressmen received a P2 million “Christmas bonus."</p>

Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste claimed on Monday that some congressmen received a P2 million “Christmas bonus."

Leviste claims some congressmen received P2-M 'Christmas bonus'; House leaders deny

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Leviste claims some congressmen received P2-M 'Christmas bonus'; House leaders deny

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 29, 2025 06:49 PM PHT

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