Leviste thanks lawyer for confirming claims

Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste yesterday thanked lawyer Mae Divinagracia for confirming several of his claims regarding the so-called “Cabral files.”

- By JOSE RODEL CLAPANO and DELON PORCALLA

Leviste also thanked Divinagracia for confirming that he lawfully obtained the documents, refuting insinuations that he forcibly took it from the late public works undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral.

Citing a recent interview, Leviste recalled Divinagracia saying that he obtained documents from Cabral and the latter has “shown us six boxes of documents.”

Quoting the lawyer of Cabral’s family, Leviste said the boxes contain a “document that’s ostensibly similar to the document that was released by congressman Leviste” and “some of the documents would relate to the preparation of the annual budget proposal of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) spanning 2023 to 2025.”

The 2023 to 2025 documents from Cabral include “requests, notes from the secretary, some bore the names of proponents, some are like a tabular list of projects,” Leviste said, quoting Divinagracia.

Divinagracia’s description of the documents corresponds with his copy of the files and other people’s copies secured from the DPWH, Leviste pointed out.