Leviste releases Cabral list of insertion proponents; Ombudsman secures files

Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste released on Christmas eve, Dec. 24, the vaunted Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) list of insertion proponents under the 2025 national budget that he received from the late undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral.

- By ELLSON QUISMORIO and CZARINA NICOLE ONG KI

Leviste took to Facebook to release 19 pages of paperwork that broke down the DPWH budget per region, per district, with the proponents' names under the P6.326-trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA) that was prepared in 2024 during the previous 19th Congress.

The list was marked "As of 09/04/2025 6:03 p.m." He publicly released the list despite earlier saying that he would only do so if instructed by DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon.

Leviste has been alluding to the Cabral list as a "smoking gun" of sorts against his House colleagues who may have questionable project insertions in the current national budget.

Earlier this week, Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon dared Leviste to release the list in full and not wait for Dizon's go signal. He slammed the Batangas solon for "confusing" the public with his "piecemeal" revelations.

Leviste had accused Ridon of making insertions to the DPWH budget last year even if the latter wasn't a congressman yet.

"Mabuting malaman ng publiko ang nilalaman ng DPWH budget upang maipagmalaki po natin ang ating mga proyekto (It's good for the public to know the contents of the DPWH budget so we may boast about our projects)," Leviste said in his Facebook post--a remark that may or may not be viewed as sarcastic, given his initial reluctance to release the list.