Camille Naredo

1st District of Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste speaks to the members of the press after the ratification of the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed 2026 national budget during a plenary session on Monday, December 29, 2025.  Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

1st District of Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste speaks to the members of the press after the ratification of the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed 2026 national budget during a plenary session on Monday, December 29, 2025.  Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

REP. LEANDRO LEVISTE

Agatha Gregorio

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/177798522719820251229-20th-congress-leviste-MT15.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="1st District of Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste speaks to the members of the press after the ratification of the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed 2026 national budget during a plenary session on Monday, December 29, 2025.  Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">1st District of Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste speaks to the members of the press after the ratification of the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed 2026 national budget during a plenary session on Monday, December 29, 2025.  <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- Batangas 1st District Representative Representative Leandro Leviste on Tuesday accused CWS party-list Representative Edwin Gardiola of making an offer to join him and Executive Secretary Ralph Recto in partaking in a scheme to do business with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in his district.</p><p>Under the system supposedly described by Gardiola and Recto, Leviste would be assigned to notify them of places for road openings so they could partake in the purchase of the land.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/4/leviste-urges-probe-into-alleged-recto-gardiola-link-1619">READ: Leviste urges probe into alleged Recto-Gardiola link, vows to reveal their &#x27;modus&#x27;</a></div><p>Recto, as a member of the cabinet, is said to be capable of helping fund projects.</p><p>&quot;Sa aming dinner noong April 16, inalok ako ni Congressman Gardiola na mag-partner sa kanya at kay Secretary Recto sa pagnenegosyo sa DPWH sa aking distrito, sa sistema raw na ginagawa nila noon pa sa Lipa at sa ibang mga bayan– tukuyin ang mga lugar para sa mga road opening ng DPWH. Sabihan ko daw sila &#x27;pag mayroon akong nakita para makasama sila sa bilihan ng lupa. Kayang tumulong daw sa pagpondo ng mga proyekto si Secretary Recto dahil siya ay nasa gabinete. At si Cong. Gardiola din ay malakas sa DPWH, at maaaring siya na ang bahala sa contractor,&quot; Leviste said. </p><p>Recto supposedly conditioned landowners to give him part of their land at a lower price before allowing the DPWH to fund such bypass roads in Lipa, according to Leviste. </p><p>&quot;Iba&#x27;t ibang mga tao ay nagkuwento din sa akin na gawain ni Recto ito. Kung lehitimo man ito, mabuti at maging transparent si Secretary Recto sa kanyang yaman at kung ang ginagastos ni Cong. Gardiola para sa kampanya nila ay may kaugnayan sa pagiging contractor ni Gardiola sa Batangas,&quot; Leviste said, after alleging Gardiola spent over P1 billion for Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto and Luis Manzano, and other candidates, in the 2025 elections. </p><p>Leviste also called on Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro to address his allegations against Recto should the executive secretary not respond to accusations.</p><p>&quot;Kung hindi sasagutin ni Secretary Recto ang mga alegasyong ito, hinahamon ko si Usec. Claire Castro sa susunod niyang press briefing na sagutin kung tama ba na may ganitong alegasyon kay Executive Secretary Recto, bakit hindi pa sinasalang si Secretary Recto sa Commission on Appointments, at kung ayaw din ba nilang buksan ang mga detalye ng dalawang kasong plunder ni ES Recto sa Ombudsman,&quot; Leviste said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;NATIONAL INVENTOR OF LIES&#x27;</strong></div><p>In a statement, Recto said he has no ghost or flood control projects, and made reference to someone he called a &quot;deranged and dangerous person&quot; and the &quot;leading national inventor of lies.&quot;</p><p>&quot;This is a bitter brat. Prone to tantrums, even bad-mouthing the woman who gave birth to him in front of many people. Sa tatlumpung taon ko sa serbisyo, ngayon lang ako nakaharap ng isang taong ganito—  mas ganid, mas tuso, manlalansin, at kayang isangtabi ang katotohanan para lamang sa pansariling kapakinabanangan,&quot; Recto said. </p><p>And despite what Leviste alleged, Recto stressed the Gardiolas have long been his political rivals.</p><p>&quot;Ngayon, pilit na pilit niyang nilalagyan ng malisya ang koneksyon namin ni Cong. Edwin Gardiola. Ang totoo niyan, ang mga Gardiola ay matagal kong katunggali sa pulitika, naglaban kami sa maraming eleksyon, at nakasama ko lang siya noong 2022 bilang respeto sa isang kapwa Batangueño na  congressman,&quot; Recto said.</p><p>In a manifestation, Batangas 6th District Representative Ryan Recto said Gardiola and Recto&#x27;s association was &quot;purely professional&quot; with no personal interests involved.</p><p>&quot;Their association is purely professional as Congressman Gardiola is also a member of the House of Representatives and a fellow Batangueño,&quot; Rep. Recto said. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>MOTION TO STRIKE OFF THE RECORD </strong></div><p>What began as a speech from Leviste quickly turned into a heated debate among various lawmakers, some of which made a motion to strike off the record parts of his statement.</p><p>Bicol Saro party-list Representative Terry Ridon, meanwhile, proposed the entire speech be stricken off the record.</p><p>&quot;The speech by the good congressman from Batangas doesn&#x27;t appear to be a speech relating to personal and collective privilege. It has branched out to matters that are outside of it. So I think even this particular speech in its entirety should be stricken off the record,&quot; Ridon said.</p><p>ML party-list Representative Leila de Lima told lawmakers he asked Leviste to withdraw a claim saying everyone in the hall was involved in vote buying, adding this has no basis and &quot;is unfair&quot; to those present.</p><p>&quot;I was asking him about his claim, the general claim that everybody in this hall has engaged in vote buying. So I was telling him, &#x27;Can you please withdraw that particular portion because we find it offensive?&#x27;&quot; De Lima said.</p><p>A motion was approved to strike off the record parts of the speech about allegations that regions outside of Calabarzon are spending more than areas within Calabarzon.</p>

<p>Batangas 1st District Representative Representative Leandro Leviste on Tuesday accused CWS party-list Representative Edwin Gardiola of making an offer to join him and Executive Secretary Ralph Recto in partaking in a scheme to do business with the DPWH in his district.</p>

Batangas 1st District Representative Representative Leandro Leviste on Tuesday accused CWS party-list Representative Edwin Gardiola of making an offer to join him and Executive Secretary Ralph Recto in partaking in a scheme to do business with the DPWH in his district.

Leviste accuses Gardiola, Recto of scheme of doing business with DPWH

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Leviste accuses Gardiola, Recto of scheme of doing business with DPWH

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 05, 2026 08:49 PM PHT

Read More:

DPWH

House of Representatives

Leandro Leviste

Ralph Recto

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