DPWH engineer in alleged Leviste bribe try released on bail

The district engineer who was nabbed for allegedly trying to bribe a Batangas congressman to dissuade the solon from launching a probe into flood control projects has been released on bail, the provincial police said Friday.

Batangas Provincial Police Office chief Police Colonel Geovanny Emerick Sibalo said Abelardo Calalo, district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), was released Thursday after posting bail of P150,000, according to GMA Integrated News' Ian Cruz post on X (formerly Twitter).

GMA News Online has reached out to concerned police units for more information about Calalo's release but they have yet to provide information as of posting time.

DPWH district engineer Abelardo Calalo accused of offering over P3.1 million to bribe congressman Leandro Legarda Leviste was released yesterday after posting P150,000 bail, according to Batangas Police Director Geovanny Emerick Sibalo. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/RHUKlOAVCD

— Ian Cruz (@_iancruz) August 29, 2025

On August 22, Calalo was arrested after allegedly trying to bribe Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste with over P3 million to dissuade the solon from launching a probe into anomalous projects.

According to a police report, the suspect identified as a district engineer in Balayan, Batangas was arrested in a special operation in Barangay Poblacion Zone, Taal around 7:45 p.m. 

Initial investigation showed that at around 4:30 p.m., the suspect supposedly offered Leviste a bribe worth P3,126,900.

"According to Congressman Leviste, the bribe was extended in an attempt to dissuade him from initiating an investigation into alleged anomalies involving DPWH projects within the 1st District of Batangas," the police report said.

"Congressman Leviste reported to authorities that resulted in the successful arrest of the suspect," it added.

Authorities recovered the P3,126,900 as evidence.

The suspect was placed under the custody of Taal Municipal Police Station. 

According to the police, Calalo will face charges for corruption of public officials under the Revised Penal Code as well as violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act at the Batangas Provincial Prosecutors Office.

The suspect refused to give a statement to the media, according to Cruz's report.

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

According to the DPWH, the recent allegations against the engineer identified as a certain "Abe" are "deeply concerning" and are "being taken very seriously." — with a report from Mariel Celine Serquiña/ VDV, GMA Integrated News