Cabral files on budget proponents released

After announcing that he had the flood-control project files provided by the late undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Leviste released yesterday the list of project proponents of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under the 2025 national budget.

- By JOSE RODEL CLAPANO

Leviste said the “NEP (National Expenditure program) restored” tag in the documents provided to him by Cabral refers to the “allocables” that each district congressman can earmark for projects.

“To be clear: these budgets are used by the DPWH for projects, not for the proponents. Most of the budget are out of the allocable of the district congressmen and there are other proponents. The public has to know the content of the DPWH budget so we can boast about our projects,” Leviste said in a Facebook post.

The list consisting of 19 pages of paperwork posted by Leviste on his Facebook page presented a breakdown of the DPWH budget per region and per district, which includes the names of the proponents under the P6.326-trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA) that was prepared in 2024 during the previous 19th Congress.

The list, which was marked “As of 09/04/2025 6:03 p.m.” — the supposed date that Leviste received it from Cabral - included former speaker and Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez (P19.1 billion) and President Marcos' son, Ilocos Norte 1st district Rep. Sandro Marcos (P12.9 billion).

Leviste released the list, which he described as a "smoking gun" against his fellow congressmen who may have questionable project insertions in the current national budget, days after saying that he would only release it if allowed by Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon.

It was not clear if Dizon had given Leviste the green light.

Leviste said the total "allocable" amounts stated under the "NEP RESTORED" was P401.3 billion, which in 2025 received an additional P30 million per district, although different districts have varying budgets.

"In addition, there is an outside allocable portion allocated by various proponents, together with the amendments or insertions from the House, Senate, bicam, as well as the NEP, bringing the total budget in the FY 2025 GAA to P1.041 trillion," Leviste said.