Leviste urges DPWH to release copy of 'Cabral files'

Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste on Sunday called on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to release their copy of the so-called Cabral files, which reportedly contain the agency’s budget allocation per region.

“It's not about my files, it's about may file ang DPWH. Bakit hindi nila sagutin ang panawagan ng publiko na isapubliko ang buong datos ng mga project ng DPWH?” Leviste told Super Radyo dzBB in an interview.

(It’s not about my files, it’s about the fact that the DPWH has files. Why haven’t they responded to the public’s call to make all DPWH project data public?)

“Dapat i-confirm nila, ito ba talaga ang halaga ng mga allocable ng mga congressman? Marami sa aking mga kasamahan sa Kongreso ang nakiusap at pumigil sa akin na mag-privilege speech tungkol dito,” he added.

(They should confirm whether this is really the amount allocated to the congressmen. Many of my colleagues in Congress pleaded with me and stopped me from delivering a privilege speech on this matter.)

Leviste said the DPWH, the Office of the Ombudsman, and some media outlets already have a copy of the Cabral files.

“The fact na may iba pang source na naglalabas ng files na ito, patunay na hindi ko ito imbento (The fact that other sources have been releasing copies of the files proves that I did not make it up),” the lawmaker said.

'Publicize the files'

Leviste believes that DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon wants to release DPWH’s copy of the Cabral files, as he showed the agency’s response to his request, as posted on the lawmaker’s Facebook page.

The lawmaker said that after he emailed Dizon on October 1, the DPWH Planning Service sent the agency’s 2025 budget and 2026 House General Appropriations Bill files on October 20.

“Ito ang katotohanan, sinabi sa akin ni Sec. Vince noong September, isasapubliko niya ito. Naniniwala ako na gusto ni Sec. Vince na ireporma ang DPWH,” Leviste said.

(The truth is, Dizon told me in September that he wanted to publicize the file. I believe he wants to reform DPWH.)

“Sana huwag natin siyang pigilan na ilabas ang katotohanan. At may post muli ako sa Facebook. Hindi ko alam bakit niya pa sinasabi wala pa siyang nakita kasi buong Pilipinas nga po maaari na nilang makita sa aking Facebook,” he added.

(I hope we don’t stop him from revealing the truth. I have a Facebook post. I don’t understand why he still says he hasn’t seen anything, when the whole Philippines can already see it on my Facebook.)

GMA News Online has reached out to Dizon for comment and will update this article once he issues a statement. 

Leviste shared the lengthy list of projects per congressional district on his Facebook post, which contains the “allocable,” or the budget allocated to DPWH projects in certain districts, totalling P401.3 billion.

This supposedly ballooned to P1.041 trillion because of the “outside allocable,” he added.

On Friday, Dizon said that he has not authenticated any document in the possession of Leviste since he has yet to examine it.

Leviste became emotional as he mentioned that some government officials on the Cabral files are his friends, which also includes lists of insertions.

“Ayon din sa mga nakalap kong ebidensiya, lumabas din du'n ang acronym na SAP (According to the evidence I’ve gathered, an acronym SAP surfaced),” Leviste said.

“Lahat ng taong nakapangalan dito, ayaw nilang lumabas ang mga pangalan nila. Nakakalungkot din na imbis ilabas, pinagtatakpan pa,” he added.

(Everyone on the list doesn’t want their names to be revealed. It’s also sad that instead of making them public, they’re being covered up.)

The lawmaker also said that he plans to meet with Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson to hand over the files and ask for advice on how to go about it.

Meanwhile, earlier on Sunday, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said an investigation should be done to determine how the so-called Cabral files were sourced.

Dizon said Cabral told him that Leviste forcibly got a copy of the files by using the computer of a staff member and saved them to his flash drive.

"Kung ganu'n nga ang nangyari, anu-anong files ang na-transfer? Anu-anong files ang na-authenticate?" Castro said.

(If that's what happened, what files were transferred? What files were authenticated?)

"At ang sabi ni Sec. Vince, hindi pa niya nakita 'yung document na sinasabi ni Cong. Leviste. So kung hindi pa niya nakikita, papaano niya maa-authenticate?" she added.

(And Sec. Vince said he has not seen the document mentioned by Cong. Leviste. So if he has not seen them, how can he authenticate them?)

Castro then mentioned what Senator Rodante Marcoleta said in another interview. "It will just be considered as speculation at tsismis at maaaring makagulo pa. Pero kung ito ay totoo, makakatulong," she added.

(These will just be considered as speculation and gossip and can even be confusing. But if these are true, it can be helpful.)

Castro pointed out that if evidence is acquired through illegal means, it loses its probative value and becomes meaningless.

“Lahat naman tayo ay gusto ng katotohanan. Kung katotohanan lang din ang gusto natin, agad-agad mo nang ipakita. 'Wag nang patumpik-tumpik, magpapa-delay na ipakita ito,” she said. 

(We all want the truth.  If you want the truth, then show it right away. Don’t hesitate or delay in presenting it.) —KG, GMA Integrated News