DECEMBER 31, 2025 — Fresh allegations have surfaced against neophyte lawmaker Leandro Leviste, with former employees of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) claiming his team attempted to forcibly access procurement files at the Batangas 1st District Engineering Office last August.

The incident reportedly involved 20 to 30 individuals wearing shirts bearing Leviste’s name who arrived past office hours on August 1, 2025. According to a witness, the group introduced themselves as Leviste’s staff and demanded access to project documents.

“Isang batalyon ang dumating doon. Hindi talaga namin sila payagan. Sabi namin bigyan kami ng request, i-request nila yung kailangan na documents at kami na mismo magbibigay sa kanila kahit ano documents ang hingin nila. Nagpupumilit itong si tao niya,” the witness said. 

(A battalion came in. We really did not allow them. We told them to give us a request, to formally ask for the documents, and we would provide whatever they needed. But his people insisted.)

The witness also recounted that one staff member called District Engineer Abelardo Calalo, who approved the request. However, she said Calalo later admitted he did not expect Leviste’s team to personally rummage through folders and photograph pages of project files.

“Nagulat siya talaga. Hindi naman niya ine-expect na ganun ang gagawin na pagkukunin lahat ng mga folder ng projects namin, pagbubuklatin at pipicturan nila lahat,” the witness shared. 

(He was really surprised. He did not expect that they would take all our project folders, open them, and photograph everything.)

Another employee described the group’s behavior as overbearing. 

“Ang dating, parang, lugar nila yung ginagalawan nila. Minsan medyo nagtatawanan, hindi mo maiiwasan naglalaro,” he said. 

(It felt like they owned the place. Sometimes they were even laughing, as if playing around.)

While no documents were physically removed, staff expressed concern that photographed signatures and details could be altered. 

“Wala naman kaming tinatago pero ang nangyari, kung sinu-sino kumuha, nagsalin-salin sila. Di namin alam kung anong gagawin nila dyan, i-edit ba nila yan … na pwede kaming gawan nang mali,” one witness said. 

(We had nothing to hide, but the problem was anyone could take and pass the images around. We don’t know what they’ll do with them, edit them maybe … and make us look guilty.)

Employees said they filed an incident report but chose not to escalate the matter, fearing retaliation. They claimed Leviste’s camp continued monitoring their office afterward, even stationing two to three people there regularly.

One witness recalled confronting Leviste directly: “Naikwento namin na, Cong. ang daming tao niyong kumuha ng documents dito. Tapos parang tumatawa siya, ‘Ah, madami ba?’” 

(We told him, Congressman, so many of your people took documents here. He just laughed and said, ‘Oh, was it a lot?’)

Leviste defends actions

Leviste maintained that his team acted with proper authorization saying, “Kung meron mga nagrereklamo please note the context, that we are investigating them for corruption and I have filed a case on the former District Engineer and our findings are that almost all the projects of the district are substandard meaning most of the staff would have some criminal liability,” he said.

He added that his staff told him, “They agreed to let us access the documents. Takot lang sila kasi we were investigating them for corruption (including bid rigging) and nakulong iyung District Engineer nila.”

(They agreed to let us access the documents. They were just scared because we were investigating them for corruption (including bid rigging) and their District Engineer was jailed.)

Questions of credibility, motives

Leviste has been making noise in recent months, drawing attention with aggressive moves against alleged corruption. But his methods have sparked debate: Is this the boldness of a promising young politician, or the arrogance of just another ‘trapo’?

Amid widespread distrust in politics, Leviste’s actions can easily be misconstrued as calculated power play rather than genuine reform.

(Image: Leandro Legarda Leviste | Facebook)