Leandro Leviste, Ralph Recto trade billion-peso allegations

Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste on Tuesday accused Executive Secretary Ralph Recto of allegedly accepting at least P1 billion in contractor money and linked his fellow lawmakers to vote-buying, prompting other House members to strike Leviste’s remarks off the record due to lack of evidence.

In a privilege speech, Leviste tagged CWS party-list Rep. Edwin Gardiola as the contractor who allegedly financed the 2025 election campaign of Recto, then Batangas 6th District Representative, and his wife and actress Vilma Santos.

Leviste also alleged that his colleagues were engaged in vote buying and that election spending in areas outside of Batangas are way higher.

“Nakatanggap ako ng reports na may ibinigay na cash para ikampanya si Vilma at Lucky na galing raw kay Congressman Gardiola. Tila si Congressman Gardiola ang gumastos para sa kampanya ng ViLucky, batay sa mga nakita ko sa aking distrito. Kung totoo ito, ang susunod na tanong ay: Bakit si Gardiola gumastos ng mahigit P1 bilyong piso para sa mga Recto?” he asked.

“Bakit si Gardiola at gumagastos ng mahigit P1 billion para sa mga Recto? Ito ba ay pagkakaibigan lang o may ginagawa ba si Ralph Recto as Cabinet Secretary of the Republic of the Philippines para mapaggastos ng ganito si Gardiola?” he added.

Leviste also alleged that Gardiola asked him to work in partnership in Recto for a business involving the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“Inalok ako ni Congressman Gardiola na mag-partner sa kanya at kay Secretary Recto sa pagne-negosyo sa DPWH sa aking distrito, sa sistema daw na ginagawa nila sa Lipa at ibang mga bayan: Tukuyin ang mga lugar para sa mga ‘road opening’; sabihan ko daw sila pag meron akong nakita para makasama sila sa bilihan ng lupa; kayang tumulong sa pagpondo ng mga proyekto si Secretary Recto dahil siya ay nasa Gabinete; at si Cong. Gardiola din ay malakas sa DPWH, at maaaring siya na din ang bahala sa contractor,” he said.

In response, Recto’s son and Batangas Sixth District Rep. Ryan Recto disputed Leviste’s claims.

“Hindi po dapat ginagamit ang plenaryong ito upang lahat ng mga haka-haka o paratang na walang sapat na basehan. Walang katotohanan ang mga alegasyon. Fake news po ‘yan. In fact, I will not stand idly by and let these so-called facts be presented as truth,” the younger Recto said.

House Deputy Speaker and Iloilo 1st Rep. Janette Garin also asked Leviste as to whether he has documentary evidence concerning his allegations that Gardiola and Recto spent as much as P1 billion for the 2025 polls, including the alleged vote-buying.

Leviste walked back on his earlier statement and said he does not know for sure Gardiola and Recto indeed spent such an amount of money.

"Hindi ko po alam ang totoong nangyari. Pinaparating ko lang ang sinabi sa akin at medyo mataas ang figure na natatanggap ko, baka naman P300, P400, P500 million lang ang ginastos sa eleksyon. Don’t take it from me, magpatawag tayo ng pagdinig at lahat ng mga Batangueno, pwedeng sumagot,” Leviste said.

This prompted Garin to move to strike out portions of Leviste’s privilege speech that are not backed by documentary evidence.

Her motion was approved by a voice vote despite Leviste’s objection.

GMA News Online is reaching out to Gardiola for his comment on Leviste’s allegations.

In a statement, the Executive Secretary said he actually turned down Leviste’s offer of P400 million, which Recto was supposed to give to Leviste’s political opponents for them to back out of the 2025 elections.

“You can only fight a natural born liar with truth. At sa walang humpay na walang basehang paninirang puri, may hangganan din ang pagtitimpi. Sa unang pagtatagpo pa lang namin, may handa siyang P400 milyon at mariin niya akong pinakiusapan na suhulan ang kanyang kalaban sa pulitika upang umatras ito sa kampanya. Tinanggihan ko ito,” Recto said.

“Noong sumunod na linggo, hindi pa siya nakontento. Inalok niya kami ng P1 bilyon para sa pag-urong ni Governor Vi upang siya ang humalili. Umiiyak ang nanay niya habang ginagawa niya ito. Muli, tinanggihan ko ito. Nakakainsulto. Nakakagalit. Tanging ang respeto ko sa kaniyang ina bilang dating kasamahan sa trabaho ang naging dahilan para hindi ko siya isiwalat at kasuhan,” he added.

Recto said Gardiola is only a colleague and used to be his political opponent, and that he has no ghost or anomalous projects to his name.

“Lahat ng proyekto ko sa Batangas bilang mambabatas ay may resibo at dama ng tao,” he said, dismissing Leviste as one who is “prone to tantrums, even badmouthing the woman who gave birth to him in front of many people.”

“He is a deranged and dangerous person who will even skin his loved ones, and use their skin to drumbeat his empty achievements to feed his narcissism. We should be wary of psychotic sideshows that divert us from real issues at hand,” Recto added. — JMA, GMA News