JANUARY 16, 2026 — Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste is in the spotlight again — this time not for legislation, but for drama. After confirming he sought guidance from Senator Panfilo Lacson on the so-called Cabral files — documents allegedly detailing 2025 infrastructure allocations — Leviste found himself battling a curious accusation: that he cried to his mother, Senator Loren Legarda, over the backlash.

Leviste quickly denied it. 

“Umiiyak daw ako sa mom ko. Lilinawin ko lang po na hindi ito totoo,” he insisted. 

(They said I cried to my mom. I just want to clarify that this is not true.)

He explained that his mother reached out to Lacson because she knew he would listen to the senator’s advice more than hers.

Lacson himself confirmed that Legarda messaged him, saying her son was “dumadaing daw sa kanya” (complaining to her). According to Lacson, Leviste asked why the backlash against him was harsher compared to Lacson’s own crusade against corruption.

Now, let’s pause. First, we had a “meow-meow” congressman. Now, we have one allegedly crying to mama. Is this the kind of leadership we have today — politicians caught between exposing corruption and defending their reputations with family drama?

The bigger issue here isn’t actually the tears — it’s the Cabral files. Leviste confirmed that his copy shows “at least 5 cabinet secretaries, and undersecretaries, had ‘allocables’.” If true, this means billions in public funds may have been carved up like a family inheritance. 

Shouldn’t we be more outraged about that than about who cried to whom?

Leviste insists he appreciates the Senate and House issuing subpoenas to authenticate the files. That’s a step forward. But Filipinos have seen this movie before — scandals exposed, names dropped, hearings held, and yet … where does accountability land? (Hint: we want the ‘big fish’!)

But let’s go back to the “crying” bit, because honestly, it is quite amusing. 

And if truth be told, this “crying to mama” rumor isn’t exactly far-fetched when we’ve already seen Congressman Leviste openly shedding tears in a recent interview. So when whispers spread that he ran to his mother for comfort, the public can’t help but connect the dots. 

The real crying we should worry about, though, is the public weeping over embezzled funds, not politicians nursing bruised egos and cradling mama’s boys’ wounded hearts.

So what are we going to do — cry with Leviste or weep over the stolen funds? 

(Image: YouTube)