Speaking at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum, Leviste presented a letter, signed, he said, by DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon ordering the removal of an assistant secretary and a director IV allegedly connected to contractors and reportedly endorsed by Perez.

“When I said in October that multiple appointees of Secretary Dizon have links to or are contractors. My intention was not primarily a change in personnel, but a reform of the whole system and the budget. But when it got to the matters on personnel, Secretary Dizon took quick action to replace them and confirms that Ari Perez is close to CWS party list representative, Edwin Garjola,” Leviste said.

Leviste thanked Dizon for the dismissal of the two DPWH officials who are contractors, claiming the companies linked to Gardiola had obtained more than ₱100 billion worth of projects from the department over time.

He stressed that the previously endorsed appointees would no longer be allowed to hold influence within the DPWH Central Office.

The Batangas lawmaker also said investigations are ongoing involving an undersecretary from another government agency who allegedly became a contractor for flood-control projects, along with several DPWH officials, said to have been proponents of Central Office projects.

One outcome of the discussions between Leviste and Dizon, he added, was the lowering of the DPWH’s Construction Material Price Data, an adjustment expected to generate up to ₱60 billion in savings.

The 32-year-old solon likewise addressed a photo he took inside the House plenary hall, which showed him and Gardiola.

“I would like to clarify one thing, Seatmates kami sa Congress. Kasi yung video looks like Sinundan ko siya. Pumunta lang ako sa ating assigned seat. Na yung assigned seat ko is one seat away from his. So, actually, people can see that on our name tags on the tables,” he said.

He said the encounter was unplanned, noting that House members were instructed to attend the session to vote on the suspension of Cavite Rep. Kiko Barzaga, resulting in unusually high attendance.

“For whatever reason, it was the first time I saw Congressman Gardiola in the plenary session in three months,” Leviste added. “When I entered the hallway, he was right there. Because it was the first time that I saw him in the plenary session in three months, my instinct was to capture the moment.”

Meanwhile, Gardiola earlier denied allegations of involvement with anomalous infrastructure projects.