Palace: Marcos, Leviste should discuss flood control projects issue

Malacañang on Wednesday it would be better if President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. would be able to talk to Batangas Representative Leandro Leviste regarding anomalous flood control projects.

''Kung sinuman po ang behind dito, mas maganda po na makausap din po ng Pangulo si Congressman Leviste, at kung ano ang kanyang mga nalaman kasi personal po siyang nakahuli dito kay district engineer at most probably, may mga contractor na nabanggit dito,'' Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said in a briefing.

(Whoever is behind this, it's better that the President could talk to Congressman Leviste in order to discuss whatever he knows since he personally caught the district engineer and most probably, contractors were mentioned here.) 

''So, mas magandang makipag-ugnayan siya sa Pangulo para kung sinuman ang mga malalaking tao diumano na behind dito ay dapat ding makasuhan, hindi lamang po iyong district engineer,'' she added. 

(It would be better if he would talk to the President so that he would know who are those involved in the anomalies, not just the district engineer.) 

Earlier, Leviste filed a complaint against a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) District Engineer who he claimed tried to bribe him with P3 million to dissuade him from launching a probe into anomalous projects on supposed "SOP" standard operating procedure or kickbacks for government projects.

Initial police investigation showed that Abelardo Calalo around 4:30 p.m. supposedly offered the congressman a bribe worth P3,126,900. Authorities recovered the P3,126,900 as evidence.

Calalo refused to give a statement to the media on Monday while at the Taal Municipal Police Station.

The DPWH has said that Calalo will be relieved of his assignment and placed on preventive suspension.

Following this, Leviste said he is considering filing a bill that will amend the procurement law by providing incentives to low-cost, good-quality projects.

The lawmaker added that the law should be amended so that the bidding of the lower-priced infrastructure projects will be devolved to the local government units rather than the DPWH.  — RF, GMA Integrated News