Leviste tags construction firm in P3-M ‘bribery’ raps
Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste is seeking to implead a construction company that allegedly tried to give P3.12 million as “support” for his office in the bribery and graft charges that he filed against a former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official in Batangas.
Leviste, in his supplemental complaint and motion to implead filed before the Batangas Provincial Prosecutor’s Office on Monday, identified TopTech Trading and Construction Co. as the company that gave former DPWH Batangas first district engineer Abelardo Calalo the money that he brought to Leviste’s office during their meeting on Aug. 22.
‘Instigated’
Calalo was arrested by policemen during that meeting for supposedly trying to offer Leviste money collected from top contractors in the district as “donation” for the neophyte lawmaker’s projects.
He was released on Aug. 28 after posting a total bail of P60,000-P150,000 for alleged violation of Article 212 of the Revised Penal Code for corruption of public officials and P90,000 for alleged violation of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Then Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan suspended Calalo following the reported bribe attempt on Leviste.
Calalo had denied the allegations and claimed that he was merely “instigated” by Leviste into giving him the money as part of a “political agenda” against former Batangas Rep. Eric Buhain, whom Leviste defeated in the May elections.
But Leviste noted that Calalo did not deny that the money was collected from DPWH contractors in the district, including the P3.12 million given by TopTech.
This, he added, was not a mere “abstract donation” but corresponds to 3 percent of the total P104.2 million worth of contracts awarded to TopTech. The company’s general information sheet filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission lists its owners as spouses Elrey Jose and Marciana Noche.
A receipt that came with the cash that Calalo brought to Leviste’s office showed that the projects included road widening in Lian town (P50.180 million); maintenance of flood mitigation structures and drainage systems (P39.2 million); and construction of roads in Lemery town (P14.9 million). All three projects were awarded this year, before Leviste assumed office on July 1.
Own research
DPWH contracts show that TopTech has at least 27 projects in Batangas worth P1.45 billion.
The Noches were not part of Leviste’s initial complaint charging Calalo of direct bribery and violation of RA 3019.
However, Leviste is now arguing that they, too, must be impleaded in the case for allegedly acting in conspiracy with Calalo.
“TopTech is thus demonstrably an interested party in DPWH procurement, and Respondent Calalo’s delivery of cash with documentary evidence of this being a commission removes any iota of innocence from the ‘donation’ claim of the Respondent,” Leviste said in the filing.
Asked why he decided to have them included in the case only now, Leviste told the Inquirer: “When we saw the three projects listed along with the cash of Engineer Calalo, we found these were awarded to TopTech Trading & Construction Co. Inc. and then researched the owners of the company.”
“We hoped that Engineer Calalo would name contractors in his affidavit, but we had to do our own research to add them to the case,” he added.
The Batangas lawmaker had denied Calalo’s allegations in his counteraffidavit, including that Leviste had instigated him into committing bribery.
Calalo, who is represented by lawyer Raymond Fortun, also tried to implicate Uswag Ilonggo Rep. James Ang as the one who instructed him to collect the money from Batangas contractors to be given to Leviste.
Leviste had denied knowing about this or that he had given Ang such instructions. —WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH
