Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste has raised concerns over a purported “pre-ordering” of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects months before the national budget for 2025 was approved, linking over P20 billion worth of projects to Congressman Edwin Gardiola.
In an interview on DZRH’s Dos Por Dos, Leviste revealed that he obtained a list in August 2024 from the office of former DPWH Undersecretary Catalina Cabral. The list allegedly included projects slated for bidding and awarding in 2025, all of which were connected to companies linked to Gardiola.
“Hindi ko po sinasabi na ito po ay definitive pero nagtataka lang ako bakit may listahan galing sa kanya na magkakasama ang 20 billion pesos na mga proyekto na nagkataon ay lahat inaward sa mga kumpanyang konektado kay Congress ng Edwin Gardiola,” Levisted said.
“Ang ibig sabihin po ay may pre-ordering pala ng mga proyekto sa DPWH,” he added.
Leviste explained that DPWH submits its annual budget for congressional approval, usually at the end of the year, with bidding starting the following year. The list he acquired, however, predates this process by several months.
“Kasi ang nalalaman na natin sa mga DPWH hearings ay may lutuan ng mga bidding. Pero ang ibig kong sabihin, bago pa na-aprubahan ng budget, may listahan na pala ang mga opisyal sa DPWH, kanino mapupunta ang mga proyekto. At pag na-aprubahan na ng budget, doon nila ginagawa ang lutuan,” Leviste said.
When asked for clarification on whether this meant Gardiola was already involved in budget planning discussions as early as August 2024, Leviste said he could not confirm the exact conversations but noted that Gardiola has close ties with former DPWH Secretary Manny Bonoan, as well as several district engineers and regional directors.
“Ang punto ko actually ay para sa buong bansa, dapat i-disclose ng DPWH yung mga listahan na ito,” Leviste urged.
Leviste’s disclosure comes amid ongoing scrutiny over DPWH project allocations and bidding processes, raising questions about the need for greater transparency and accountability in infrastructure spending in the country.
