Ched Rick Gatchalian

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Leviste refutes district engineer Calalo’s statements on ‘donations’ from contractors 

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste refuted claims made by district engineer Abelardo Calalo’s statements in his submitted counter-affidavit that alleged he instructed Calalo to give him the “donation” from a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) project contractor. </p><p>Leviste said he does not accept donations from contractors.</p><p>Talking about his meeting with Calalo, Leviste told ANC on Friday, “He said that the contractors gusto magpadala ng suporta, and he mentioned– he was the one that mentioned na mayroon na siyang dala. By the way, this is my first term in Congress, so I was shocked that he would be so open about discussing that. And I was a bit speechless actually when he said that. So he took it upon himself to bring it. I did not ask for him to give me the donation.”</p><p>In his counter-affidavit, Calalo claimed Leviste had become “suddenly so eager” to turn over what was donated from one contractor so far when they had met up.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/5/dpwh-district-engineer-denies-bribe-try-on-leviste-a-twisting-of-the-truth-1453">DPWH district engineer denies bribe try on Leviste: &#x27;A twisting of the truth&#x27;</a></div><p>“He insisted saying, ‘Kunin mo na kahit maliit pa para masimulan na natin.’ At the time, I still had doubts about his willingness to receive the donation so I had to still ask him, ‘Sigurado po kayo Cong?’. Cong. Leviste then firmly ordered me to get the donation by saying, ‘oo kunin mo na.” Calalo’s press statement read.</p><div><strong>REP. ANG ACCUSED OF ASKING CALALO TO COLLECT DONATIONS</strong></div><p>Calalo also accused USWAG ILONGGO party-list Rep. James “Jojo” Ang Jr. of instructing him to collect donations from contractors as a show of support for Leviste’s projects.</p><p>But there was no mention in Calalo and Leviste’s meeting of another lawmaker mentioned by the district engineer, according to Leviste.</p><p>“He never mentioned that once in my conversation with him. I can tell you with a straight eye in my meeting with him, he did not mention that once,” Leviste told reporters.</p><div><strong>‘INSTIGATION, NOT ENTRAPMENT’</strong></div><p>Calalo also strongly denied that he “tried to offer money to Cong. Leviste in exchange for some favor,” saying that what ensued was not entrapment but rather, instigation.</p><p>Calalo’s legal counsel, Atty. Raymond Fortun, alleged, “Engineer Calalo had no choice but to proceed to talk to the contractors. However, only one contractor actually gave a quote donation close quote. That is the amount– that P3.1 million. And the others refused to do so because they perceived already that Calalo was on his way out because of his apparent hesitancy in cooperating with the inquiries made by Congressman Leviste to any anomalous projects of the former congressman Buhain.”</p><p>In a post on social media, Leviste showed a receipt that supposedly came with the money from Calalo. The document had information on three contracts worth P104,230,000, also noting that 3% of it amounted to P3,126,900.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/8/24/dpwh-district-engineer-arrested-for-allegedly-trying-to-bribe-batangas-solon-2153">DPWH district engineer arrested for allegedly trying to bribe Batangas solon</a></div><p>According to Leviste, the contracts were awarded to Toptech Trading &amp; Construction Co., Inc. owned by Elrey Jose Noche from Lemery, Batangas. The lawmaker added, Noche had already left the country.</p><p>“DE should not divert attention away from the contractors. To show that he is not covering up for them, DE can admit the long list of names of other contractors and proponents of projects whom he told me were also ready and willing to give support and how contractors are selected for projects in the 1st District of Batangas,” Leviste said in his statement.</p><p>Leviste also said he hopes there is no “grand cover-up” of DPWH district engineers accused of wrongdoing.  </p><p>Prior to making the statement, Leviste shared information he heard that Fortun is both the lawyer of Calalo and the engineers of the Bulacan 1st District DPWH office.</p><p>Bulacan 1st District Engineer Henry Alcantara was earlier found guilty in the administrative case filed against him in connection to &quot;ghost&quot; flood control projects in the province.</p><p>Calalo also alleged Senator Loren Legarda, Leviste’s mother, asked him to “take care” of her projects in the 1st district of Batangas.</p><p>ABS-CBN News has reached out to Ang for comment. He has yet to respond.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/26/leviste-contractors-congressmen-tagged-in-dpwh-corruption-may-retaliate-vs-whistleblowers-2001">Leviste: Contractors, congressmen tagged in DPWH corruption may retaliate vs whistleblowers</a></div>

<p>Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste refuted claims made by district engineer Abelardo Calalo’s statements in his submitted counter-affidavit that alleged he instructed Calalo to give him the “donation” from a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) project contractor.</p>

Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste refuted claims made by district engineer Abelardo Calalo’s statements in his submitted counter-affidavit that alleged he instructed Calalo to give him the “donation” from a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) project contractor.

Leviste refutes district engineer's claims on ‘donations’ from contractors

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Leviste refutes district engineer's claims on ‘donations’ from contractors

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 05, 2025 09:10 PM PHT

Read More:

Leandro Leviste

Abelardo Calalo

DPWH

Department of Public Works and Highways

Contractors

District engineers

Corruption

Flood control projects

Batangas

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