Batangas lawmakers condemn Leandro Leviste's accusations vs Rectos as 'baseless'

Batangas lawmakers have condemned what they called "baseless and malicious" remarks of Batangas First District Rep. Leandro Leviste against Executive Secretary Ralph Recto and his wife, Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto, for supposed vote buying and allegedly accepting at least P1 billion in contractor money.

"The deliberate airing of unverified allegations in a privileged forum constitutes a grave misuse of legislative authority and undermines the integrity of the House of Representatives as an institution,” the Resolution said.

“These serious accusations, as described in the said speech, were advanced without any competent, verifiable, or documentary evidence, relying solely on anonymous and uncorroborated claims that fall far short of the standard of responsible public discourse,” the resolution added.

Among those who filed the resolution is the Recto couple's son, Batangas 6th District Representative Ryan Recto.

Other signatories of the resolution are Batangas lawmakers Amado Carlos Bolilia IV (4th District), King George Collantes (3rd District), Beverly Rose Dimacuha (5th District), and Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Reyes-Luistro.

They also vouched for the Recto couple, saying that for decades, the husband and wife “demonstrated exemplary leadership, unquestioned integrity, and steadfast dedication to public service."

Accusations

Leviste on Tuesday accused Recto of allegedly accepting at least P1 billion in contractor money and linked his fellow lawmakers to vote-buying.

In his 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.

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

The Batangas lawmakers, however, slammed Leviste's "reckless statements."

“Members of Congress are accorded with parliamentary freedom of speech and debate by no less than the Constitution, but such is intended to enable a representative to discharge his public trust and uphold truth and accountability, not to serve as a shield for speculation, insinuation, or reckless statements aimed at unjustly destroying the reputation of public officials who have long served the nation and their constituents,” the Resolution said.

The Batangas lawmakers also raised concerns over what they called an '"alarming pattern of uncorroborated statements, baseless accusations, and hearsay, which undermine public trust and have no place in our democratic process" from Leviste.

"Now, therefore, be it resolved, that the House of Representatives condemns the baseless, malicious, and irresponsible allegations against Executive Secretary Ralph Recto and Governor Vilma Santos-Recto made by Rep. Leandro L. Leviste in his privilege speech before the House of Representatives on May 5, 2026; resolved further, that copies of this Resolution be furnished to Executive Secretary Recto and Governor Santos-Recto as an expression of support and acknowledgment of their enduring legacy of service to the Filipino people and to the Province of Batangas,” the Resolution said.

GMA News Online has reached out to Leviste for comment but he has yet to reply as of posting time. —VAL, GMA News