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Leviste Flags P8B Projects In Cabral Files
Photo credit: Leandro Leviste
Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste on Monday raised fresh questions over the so-called Cabral Files, saying the documents list around ₱8 billion worth of projects nationwide tagged under the proponent “OP (ES/SAP)” in the 2025 proposed budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Speaking to reporters at the House of Representatives, Leviste confirmed earlier reports, including one by Bilyonaryo News Channel, that the files allegedly compiled by the late DPWH undersecretary Cabral point to billions of pesos in projects linked to the same proponent tag.
The issue has also reached the Senate. Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson said in an interview over the weekend that “at least 5 cabinet secretaries and some undersecretaries had allocables and/or non-allocables,” based on the same set of documents.
Leviste said he planned to deliver a privilege speech in the House to discuss the contents of the Cabral Files, as well as the House’s confidential ₱18.58-billion maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE). However, he was not given the chance. When the House resumed session at 2:00 p.m., it adjourned just 40 seconds later after declaring the 2026 General Appropriations Act approved—without allowing any member to speak.
The lawmaker stressed that he was not trying to antagonize fellow legislators. He said his goal was simply to put verified information on record, particularly reports pointing to ₱8 billion in projects tagged as proposed by “OP (ES/SAP),” and to push for a formal inquiry that could lead to reforms in the DPWH budget process. He added that he was not drawing conclusions on what the proponent tag actually meant.
After the abrupt adjournment, Leviste faced the media alongside House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Egay Erice, who had already filed a resolution calling for a House inquiry into the Cabral Files and urging the Senate to do the same. Both lawmakers said Senator Lacson would be well-positioned to lead a parallel probe in the Senate.
Leviste also disclosed that the ₱8-billion figure includes a ₱300-million project in his own district in Batangas—the installation of 1,202 streetlights along the Tagaytay–Nasugbu Highway. According to DPWH records, the project was awarded on April 10, 2025 to New Rich General Contractor Services & Trading Co. Inc. for ₱280,816,956, or about ₱233,624 per streetlight. Leviste earlier cited the project as one of the most overpriced in his district in a Facebook post last October.
He said a formal congressional inquiry, whether led by Erice in the House or Lacson in the Senate, could determine whether there was any factual basis for attributing ₱8 billion worth of projects to the “OP (ES/SAP)” tag in the Cabral Files—and, more broadly, help bring transparency to how infrastructure funds are proposed and approved.
Speaking to reporters at the House of Representatives, Leviste confirmed earlier reports, including one by Bilyonaryo News Channel, that the files allegedly compiled by the late DPWH undersecretary Cabral point to billions of pesos in projects linked to the same proponent tag.
The issue has also reached the Senate. Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson said in an interview over the weekend that “at least 5 cabinet secretaries and some undersecretaries had allocables and/or non-allocables,” based on the same set of documents.
Leviste said he planned to deliver a privilege speech in the House to discuss the contents of the Cabral Files, as well as the House’s confidential ₱18.58-billion maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE). However, he was not given the chance. When the House resumed session at 2:00 p.m., it adjourned just 40 seconds later after declaring the 2026 General Appropriations Act approved—without allowing any member to speak.
The lawmaker stressed that he was not trying to antagonize fellow legislators. He said his goal was simply to put verified information on record, particularly reports pointing to ₱8 billion in projects tagged as proposed by “OP (ES/SAP),” and to push for a formal inquiry that could lead to reforms in the DPWH budget process. He added that he was not drawing conclusions on what the proponent tag actually meant.
After the abrupt adjournment, Leviste faced the media alongside House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Egay Erice, who had already filed a resolution calling for a House inquiry into the Cabral Files and urging the Senate to do the same. Both lawmakers said Senator Lacson would be well-positioned to lead a parallel probe in the Senate.
Leviste also disclosed that the ₱8-billion figure includes a ₱300-million project in his own district in Batangas—the installation of 1,202 streetlights along the Tagaytay–Nasugbu Highway. According to DPWH records, the project was awarded on April 10, 2025 to New Rich General Contractor Services & Trading Co. Inc. for ₱280,816,956, or about ₱233,624 per streetlight. Leviste earlier cited the project as one of the most overpriced in his district in a Facebook post last October.
He said a formal congressional inquiry, whether led by Erice in the House or Lacson in the Senate, could determine whether there was any factual basis for attributing ₱8 billion worth of projects to the “OP (ES/SAP)” tag in the Cabral Files—and, more broadly, help bring transparency to how infrastructure funds are proposed and approved.
Dec 29, 2025
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