Leviste bares DPWH official's attempt to stop his exposés

Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda

- By ELLSON QUISMORIO and DHEL NAZARIO

Leviste turned emotional during a Zoom interview Friday, Dec. 26, while recalling how a certain Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official called him up in the middle of a press conference and exerted “leverage” on him when it came to his request for additional budget for the construction of classrooms.He said the caller, who he didn't name, actually offered to increase his budget for infrastructure projects, particularly classrooms.

“That’s what was being offered on the phone and I said, I don’t want it just for my district, I want the DPWH budget to be fixed for the whole country,” he said, as he reiterated his position for a more equitable distribution of the agency's budget.

"I'm asking for an extra budget for classrooms in the first district of Batangas. And on the phone I was told, 'we will give you an extra budget for your district'," he noted.

Although not directly stated to him, Leviste believes that the caller wanted to silence him in exchange for the extra allocation.

"In the same breath of talking about my allegations against the new leadership of the DPWH, I was being offered an extra budget.

"If you read between the lines, that means you don't question our budget, and we'll give you your budget. That's what I'm saying," the billionaire businessman-turned politician said.

The revelation of Leviste-who in the middle of the holidays has been exposing DPWH budget figures per congressional district-was made when he was asked if he was wary of his own House of Representatives colleagues turning against him because of his actions during the Zoom interview.

Instead of giving a direct answer, Leviste recalled his press conference last Oct. 16 at the House of Representatives wherein he flagged DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon's supposed hiring of agency contractors to executive positions.

"Last Oct. 16, I held a press briefing about the contractor-appointees of the DPWH, for which I am thankful.