NATIONAL
Advocates Philippines
Leviste Pushes Full Disclosure Of Lawmakers' Budget Allocations
Photo credit: Leandro Legarda Leviste
Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Legarda Leviste is urging Congress and government agencies to fully disclose all budget allocations and incentives given to lawmakers before the 2026 national budget is approved.
In a press briefing with House media, Leviste presented documents indicating that members of Congress receive allocations beyond the ₱401.3-billion allocable budget for Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects. He said the records were linked to documents from the office of the late DPWH Undersecretary Catalina Cabral.
Leviste cited a June 10 message circulated during the preparation of the National Expenditure Program (NEP), which reminded chiefs of staff of lawmakers to submit hard and soft projects for fiscal year 2026. The message listed allocations such as ₱150 million for district representatives, ₱160 million for party-list representatives, and ₱30 million in soft projects for both district and party-list lawmakers. According to Leviste, these submissions already appeared in the NEP even before the formal period for congressional amendments.
He pointed out that this appears to contradict statements made by DPWH officials during budget hearings. During the September 17 hearing of the House Committee on Appropriations, DPWH officials said they were unaware of any projects nominated by politicians in the 2026 NEP. Similar statements were made during the September 30 plenary deliberations, where the agency maintained that all projects originated from DPWH district and regional offices rather than from members of Congress.
Leviste also recalled that DPWH officials said they do not track project proponents once the NEP is finalized, making it difficult to publish such information for transparency.
He argued that lawmakers do, in fact, formally submit project allocations that are eventually adopted in the NEP. Citing earlier disclosures by Senator Panfilo Lacson regarding large allocations offered to Senate leaders, Leviste said the same practice exists in the House of Representatives and should be openly acknowledged.
To support his claim, Leviste shared a photo of a handwritten list allegedly shown to him by a staff member of the House Committee on Appropriations. The document detailed allocations totaling ₱151 million, including funds for Department of Health medical assistance, Department of Labor and Employment programs, Department of Social Welfare and Development aid, Department of Agriculture farm-to-market roads, DPWH projects, and other items. He said the staff member described the list as an incentive and presented it to him about a week before the budget vote.
Leviste also mentioned another document allegedly shown to a different lawmaker, which listed budget allocations totaling ₱250 million.
He emphasized that his concern is not necessarily the existence of these allocations, but the lack of transparency surrounding them. He questioned why such incentives are allegedly offered discreetly and whether they are intended to influence lawmakers’ votes on the national budget.
Leviste maintained that if public funds are being used as incentives for lawmakers ahead of the 2026 budget vote, the public has the right to know how much each member of Congress stands to receive from agencies such as DPWH, DOH, DSWD, DOLE, DA, NIA, DepEd, and others. He said this information should be disclosed before Congress ratifies the budget.
In a press briefing with House media, Leviste presented documents indicating that members of Congress receive allocations beyond the ₱401.3-billion allocable budget for Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects. He said the records were linked to documents from the office of the late DPWH Undersecretary Catalina Cabral.
Leviste cited a June 10 message circulated during the preparation of the National Expenditure Program (NEP), which reminded chiefs of staff of lawmakers to submit hard and soft projects for fiscal year 2026. The message listed allocations such as ₱150 million for district representatives, ₱160 million for party-list representatives, and ₱30 million in soft projects for both district and party-list lawmakers. According to Leviste, these submissions already appeared in the NEP even before the formal period for congressional amendments.
He pointed out that this appears to contradict statements made by DPWH officials during budget hearings. During the September 17 hearing of the House Committee on Appropriations, DPWH officials said they were unaware of any projects nominated by politicians in the 2026 NEP. Similar statements were made during the September 30 plenary deliberations, where the agency maintained that all projects originated from DPWH district and regional offices rather than from members of Congress.
Leviste also recalled that DPWH officials said they do not track project proponents once the NEP is finalized, making it difficult to publish such information for transparency.
He argued that lawmakers do, in fact, formally submit project allocations that are eventually adopted in the NEP. Citing earlier disclosures by Senator Panfilo Lacson regarding large allocations offered to Senate leaders, Leviste said the same practice exists in the House of Representatives and should be openly acknowledged.
To support his claim, Leviste shared a photo of a handwritten list allegedly shown to him by a staff member of the House Committee on Appropriations. The document detailed allocations totaling ₱151 million, including funds for Department of Health medical assistance, Department of Labor and Employment programs, Department of Social Welfare and Development aid, Department of Agriculture farm-to-market roads, DPWH projects, and other items. He said the staff member described the list as an incentive and presented it to him about a week before the budget vote.
Leviste also mentioned another document allegedly shown to a different lawmaker, which listed budget allocations totaling ₱250 million.
He emphasized that his concern is not necessarily the existence of these allocations, but the lack of transparency surrounding them. He questioned why such incentives are allegedly offered discreetly and whether they are intended to influence lawmakers’ votes on the national budget.
Leviste maintained that if public funds are being used as incentives for lawmakers ahead of the 2026 budget vote, the public has the right to know how much each member of Congress stands to receive from agencies such as DPWH, DOH, DSWD, DOLE, DA, NIA, DepEd, and others. He said this information should be disclosed before Congress ratifies the budget.
Dec 26, 2025
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