DECEMBER 25, 2025 — Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste has issued stark instructions to trusted individuals: if harm comes his way, they must release the sensitive documents he has been compiling on government infrastructure projects.

The 32-year-old lawmaker disclosed the directive on Christmas Eve, hours after making public a 19-page list of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) project proponents tied to the ₱6.326-trillion national budget for 2025. The document detailed “allocable” amounts per House member, though it did not specify possible insertions.

In a Facebook post, Leviste paused from his disclosures to mark the holiday with family. 

“Merry Christmas po sa inyong lahat! Nag-break muna tayo sa pagbahagi ng mga files upang mag-noche buena kasama ang aking ina at ang aming Nanay Fely. Kahit na Pasko, napag-usapan pa rin namin ang trabaho ...” 

(Merry Christmas to all of you! We’re taking a break from sharing files to have Noche Buena with my mother and our Nanay Fely. Even though it’s Christmas, we still talked about work ...).

He later recounted his conversation with his mother, Senator Loren Legarda: “Pinaalala ko sa aking ina ang aking bilin sa iba't ibang mga tao: kung may mangyari sa akin, isapubliko ang lahat ng files na iniwan ko at tapusin ang ating sinimulang pagbabahagi ng impormasyon. Maligayang Pasko po sa ating lahat!” 

(I reminded my mother of my instruction to various people: if anything happens to me, make public all the files I left behind and finish the information-sharing we started. Merry Christmas to all of us!).

Leviste did not name the individuals entrusted with his files. His revelation comes amid heightened tension following the death of former DPWH undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, who provided him the proponents list. Cabral died on Dec. 18 after falling into a ravine in Benguet, a case authorities are still investigating for possible foul play.

The congressman has since reinforced his security detail, confirming the move in a podcast interview.

Leviste’s warning reverberates online, stirring anew the debate on corruption, safety, and the risks faced by whistleblowers.

Will Leviste’s files spark broader public demand for accountability, or will they be buried under political maneuvering?

(Image: Leandro Legarda Leviste | Facebook)