Palace men deny pushing DPWH projects; Leviste ‘recklessness’ hit
Malacañang on Thursday denied that its officials exerted any influence on the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for 2025, following allegations from a neophyte congressman that P8 billion worth of infrastructure projects were proposed by officials under the Office of the President.
It was in response to a Facebook post on Wednesday by Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, who said there were 75 projects attached to the “OP – ES/SAP” in the files he got from the office of then Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral two months before she died.
Leviste said the initials could be referring to the Office of the President and the sub-offices of the Executive Secretary and Special Assistant to the President.
Both former Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr. denied having any hand in the planning or funding of DPWH projects.
In a statement on Thursday, Lagdameo said neither he nor his office could possibly be behind the projects since it is not an implementing agency.
“It has no technical mandate to identify infrastructure projects, nor does it exercise line-item authority over the DPWH’s internal budget listings. Any claim or insinuation suggesting otherwise is unfounded, false, and misleading,” he added.
‘Improper, irresponsible’
According to Lagdameo, he was compelled to address the matter because the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP) was repeatedly being tagged in the corruption issue.
“The continued misuse of the SAP’s name or office—whether to suggest influence, involvement, or endorsement where none exists—is improper, irresponsible, and must stop,” he said.
Apparently lashing back at Leviste’s post without naming the billionaire congressman, Lagdameo said: “Overeagerness to exact accountability cannot justify recklessness.”
“The pursuit of justice must remain grounded in facts, not in the hasty weaponization of loose, unverified, or misinterpreted information. The circulation of false claims does not advance accountability; it diverts attention from the real issues and delays their proper resolution through the appropriate institutions,” he said.
Lagdameo said he would cooperate with any inquiry so long as it is conducted in the proper forum, grounded in evidence and followed due process.
“Until then, the OSAP will not be distracted by speculation and will continue to discharge its duties in accordance with its mandate,” he added.
In an earlier statement, Bersamin also denied he was the “ES” or executive secretary tagged in the so-called “Cabral Files.”
“I emphatically state that I did not ever request, endorse, approve, or authorize any DPWH project or budget allocation at any stage of the budget process,” he said.
“I also deny having instructed anyone, whether inside or outside of the government, to use my name or that of my former office for any such purpose,” added Bersamin, who had been forced to resign in November, along with Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, after their names was dragged into the flood control scandal.
While expressing readiness to face an investigation, Bersamin said authorities should thoroughly scrutinize the supposed DPWH files made public by Leviste.
Those behind the manipulation of the “deeply flawed” budgeting process of the DPWH should be unmasked, he added.
“I respectfully call on all investigative bodies to place this matter at the top of their agenda. This matter strikes directly at the integrity of the national budget itself and must be fully investigated without delay,” he said.
Up to Ombudsman to check
Malacañang has neither confirmed nor denied the authenticity of the supposed DPWH files released by Leviste.
In a message to reporters on Thursday, Palace press officer Claire Castro said it was now up to the Office of the Ombudsman to verify the documents.
Since the files in Leviste’s possession could be manipulated by different parties, “they could not be considered as conclusive evidence,” she said.
“Allegations that are not supported by solid evidence will remain mere speculation. Let us wait for the Office of the Ombudsman to speak on this matter,” Castro added.
P300M street-light project
A check made by the Inquirer showed that all of the 75 projects on the list produced by Leviste appeared in the 2025 General Appropriations Act, based on the DPWH Transparency Portal launched by President Marcos in December.
The largest project was for the installation of street lights worth P300 million along the Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway, a portion of which would be under Leviste’s jurisdiction, the first congressional district of Batangas.
Based on DPWH data, the P280.82-billion contract for the project was awarded in March Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr. 2025 to New Rich General Contractor Services & Trading Co. Inc., which listed Eddie Opulencia as its authorized managing officer.
Installation works started on April 10, 2025, and the contract would expire on Feb. 3, 2026.
Leviste said that based on the total cost of the project, the streetlights would be worth P233,624 each, making it “one of the most overpriced projects in my district.”
The list presented by the congressman also showed that 60 percent of the P8-billion total allocation went to flood mitigation projects, while 30 percent went to road rehabilitation and widening, and the remaining 10 percent for installation of solar street lights.
‘Free-for-all pork’
Manila received the biggest allocation at P2.2 billion, followed by Occidental Mindoro at P1 billion.
The 75 projects were part of the DPWH’s “non-allocables,” which consist of the agency’s core projects, big-ticket programs, counterparts of foreign-assisted projects and national highways, among others. They are separate from the so-called “allocables” which are more local in nature.
In earlier congressional inquiries, former DPWH officials described non-allocables as a “free-for-all” pork barrel allocation both for lawmakers and officials under the executive branch.
During a Nov. 14 hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee, former Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara said his office handled a number of non-allocable projects, and high-ranking officials of the DPWH and the House received kickbacks from contractors eyeing the contracts.
