A case is being prepared against the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district engineer, who was arrested and detained last week for attempting to bribe Congressman Leandro Legarda Leviste, the Batangas Police confirmed.
RH Jecelle Ricafort reported on Monday, August 25, that DPWH’s 1st District Engineer (DE) Abelardo Calalo will face charges for the violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Corruption of Public Officials under Article 212 of the Revised Penal Code.
Based on initial investigations, the Batangas solon reported the case to police officials after the suspect allegedly offered the former a bribe of over ₱3.1 million, an attempt aimed at stopping Leviste from investigating the anomalies and irregularities with the DPWH’s projects in Batangas’ first district.
However, the lawmaker immediately reported the incident to police officials, prompting swift action to arrest the district engineer.
The suspect was arrested at 7:45 PM on Friday, August 22, by the Taal Municipal Police Station. The operation was conducted in Barangay Poblacion Zone 12, Taal, Batangas.
In a statement, Leviste confirmed Calalo’s attempt to bribe him, reminding the public not to tolerate corruption in DPWH.
“We should demand projects at better quality and lower cost, and obligate contractors to correct any deficiencies immediately without additional cost to [the] government,” he wrote in a statement. “Beyond this case, we will push for broader reforms to address systemic problems of DPWH.”
Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson had previously revealed that the bribe money for the Batangas solon would amount to ₱360 million in total.
Authorities are set to hold a case conference on the matter. The case against the district engineer will be filed tomorrow, August 26.
