Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

CCTV footage from the DPWH Central Office in Manila shows that Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste met with the late Usec. Cathy Cabral last Sept. 4 in a bid to get files on 2025 budget allocations per district. Screengrab from DPWH video via Andrea Taguines, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Marilyn Cahatol

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176715282326920251231021256_e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855_cropped_processed_by_imagy.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">CCTV footage from the DPWH Central Office in Manila shows that Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste met with the late Usec. Cathy Cabral last Sept. 4 in a bid to get files on 2025 budget allocations per district. Screengrab from DPWH video via Andrea Taguines, ABS-CBN News </span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATE)</strong> — Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste on Wednesday refuted the claims he forcibly seized the “Cabral files” from the office of late  Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, saying it was a “cover-up” of the document’s content.</p><p>“I think the public can see that there&#x27;s a cover-up because I&#x27;m saying that I have a copy of documents that they have a copy of. And yet they&#x27;re questioning my copy instead of just releasing their copy to the public,” Leviste told ANC’s Headstart. </p><p>DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon previously refuted Leviste’s claim he permitted him to acquire a copy of the &quot;Cabral files,&quot; and said the Batangas lawmaker instead forcibly took a copy of the document from a computer in Cabral’s office.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/31/ridon-says-leviste-may-face-ethics-complaint-over-alleged-illegal-acquisition-of-cabral-files-0001">Ridon says Leviste may face ethics complaint over alleged illegal acquisition of Cabral files</a></div><p>Leviste, on the other hand, said Dizon was aware he had a copy of the files since he obtained it September this year, and was under the impression that the secretary would release it to the public. </p><p>He added he was in fact asking the agency to release the files themselves so “they don&#x27;t make this about questioning what I have.”</p><p>&quot;So it seems that after some internal consultation, they&#x27;re now saying that they did not and don&#x27;t want to release the files. If they can kindly explain why they don&#x27;t want to release the files, I think that would be more interesting to the public than them making this about me,&quot; he said</p><p>He further claimed that he and Dizon had many conversations after he got a copy of the file, and that “there have been many people that have asked not to release the files to me.”</p><p>Leviste said he is waiting for Dizon to explain why he was “inaccessible” to the media to explain the amount of budget per DPWH district and the proponents in projects being investigated. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/31/leviste-claims-ombudsman-staff-apologized-for-inaccurate-video-statement-1021">Leviste claims Ombudsman staff apologized for ‘inaccurate’ video statement</a></div><div> </div><div><strong>‘FILES FROM BATANGAS 1ST DEO FOR BID RIGGING PROBE’</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Leviste explained that his office also obtained documents from the DPWH Batangas 1st District Engineering Office (DEO) as part of its investigation in its official’s alleged bid rigging.</p><p>A fomer employee of DEO earlier <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/31/dpwh-employees-claim-leviste-camp-also-tried-to-forcibly-access-files-in-batangas-office-0949">alleged </a>that Leviste’s team also forcibly acquired copies of documents.</p><p>Leviste said: “If that upsets some people in the DPWH that finally, nabuking ang kanilang matagal ng practice, then I understand why they&#x27;re reacting that way.”</p><p>Meanwhile, the neophyte lawmaker said he would “enjoy” the possible ethics complaint, as earlier mentioned by House Committee on Public Accounts Chairperson Terry Ridon regarding the matter. </p><p>“I would enjoy that because it would give me the opportunity to air more of the dirty laundry of Congress with a reason to do so,” he said.</p><p>Leviste insisted that while the public wants the files to be released, the DPWH has yet to explain this position for not doing so. </p><p>He also emphasized that the files he has are authentic. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>TRANSPARENCY ON MOOE</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>In a separate statement, Leviste called on lawmakers to be transparent and make public how they used the benefits such as the P18.58-billion Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) fund and the alleged P2 million Christmas bonus. </p><p>Some MOOE, he said, reached more than P20 million annually for some lawmakers. </p><p>The lawmaker 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>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>House leaders denied Leviste&#x27;s allegations.</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,” House Committee on Appropriations chairperson and Nueva Ecija 1st District Rep. Mikaela 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><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zgl78ZO2Pr8?si=M5ELjuYLd2_ulbam" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste on Wednesday refuted the claims he forcibly seized the “Cabral files” from the office of late DPWH undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral.</p>

Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste on Wednesday refuted the claims he forcibly seized the “Cabral files” from the office of late DPWH undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral.

Leviste refutes accusation he took Cabral files by force: 'It's a cover-up'

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Leviste refutes accusation he took Cabral files by force: 'It's a cover-up'

Marilyn Cahatol,

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 31, 2025 11:57 AM PHT

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Updated December 31, 2025 03:42 PM PHT

Read More:

Leandro Leviste

Cabral files

Vince Dizon

Batangas 1st District

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