Concerns over how sensitive government records changed hands inside the House of Representatives have prompted warnings of a possible ethics case against Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, after a senior lawmaker questioned the origins of documents attributed to the late Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral.
Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, who chairs the House committee on public accounts, said Tuesday that Leviste must publicly account for how the so-called Cabral files were obtained, reproduced, kept, and circulated, and whether such actions had the approval of DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon.
“From the very beginning, Rep. Leviste has insisted that he had full authority from DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon to acquire relevant documents from former DPWH Undersecretary Catalina Cabral. It is on this supposed authority that the credibility of his entire disclosures is built,” Ridon said.
“However, this supposed authority has been flatly rejected by Secretary Dizon himself. What is unraveling today is not the acquisition of the Cabral files based on official authority, but the acquisition of documents based on an unlawful taking by Rep. Leviste,” he added.
Ridon said allegations that official budget records were improperly accessed and copied go beyond factual disputes and touch on fundamental standards expected of legislators, including compliance with the law, restraint in the use of official position, and safeguarding the credibility of congressional inquiries.
“When the acquisition of the evidence itself is under question, institutions cannot afford to look the other way. Congress has a responsibility to protect the integrity of its processes, the rule of law, and public trust,” he said.
“We cannot allow the House to become a venue where evidence is sourced through questionable means and then laundered into legitimacy through publicity,” Ridon added.
The lawmaker cited reports in which a member of Cabral’s staff alleged that Leviste obtained and duplicated budget documents without legal basis, claiming the action was carried out under supposed instructions from Dizon. Ridon said the allegation “merits scrutiny under congressional ethics proceedings.”
Earlier on Tuesday, the DPWH released closed-circuit television footage showing Leviste entering Cabral’s office on September 4.
After Cabral’s death on December 18, Leviste began publicly releasing portions of the documents attributed to her, which detailed DPWH budget allocations from 2023 to 2026 amounting to roughly P3.5 trillion. The figures showed the largest regional shares going to Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and the Bicol Region, outlining how funding was distributed nationwide.
Police records earlier reported that Cabral was found about 30 meters from a riverbank along Kennon Road in Barangay Camp 4, Tuba, Benguet.
Her death came months after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered investigations into flood control and slope protection projects flagged as anomalous, triggering inquiries involving senior DPWH officials. Cabral had been named during those probes after fellow undersecretary Roberto Bernardo linked her to the issue, an allegation she denied. Reports indicated she handled planning and public-private partnership initiatives at the DPWH and was associated with decisions on fund allocation.
