DPWH engineer arrested after alleged bribe try on Batangas solon

A district engineer has been arrested for allegedly trying to bribe a congressman in Batangas with over P3 million to dissuade the lawmaker from launching a probe into anomalous projects, the Police Regional Office 4A (PRO 4A) said on Monday.

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

Initial investigation showed that the suspect around 4:30 p.m. supposedly offered Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro 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.

In a statement, Leviste identified the suspect as DPWH Batangas 1st District Engineer Abelardo Calalo.

The suspect was placed under the custody of Taal Municipal Police Station for booking and proper disposition. He was also sent to Batangas Provincial Hospital in Lemery, Batangas for physical and medical examination. 

He 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 media, according to GMA Integrated News reporter Ian Cruz.

Suspended

DPWH said the district engineer 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.”

Earlier in the day, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan on Monday said that if the allegation against the engineer was true, the engineer deserved to be arrested. He said there is no need to visit the DPWH engineer in detention.

“Dapat lang mangyari 'yan sa mga district engineer sa ganyang asal. Talagang I will not have second thought actually na dapat they deserve it actually ng mga ganyang nangyayari,” he told Dobol B TV in an interview.

(District engineers with that kind of behavior deserve it. I really won’t have a second thought that they deserve it when things like that happened.)

“Hindi na. Hayaan mo na. Kung siya ang may pakana ng mga ganyan, wala na. Talagang ganu'n na 'yan. Hindi na kailangan bisitahin yan,” he added.

(No need. Leave it alone. If he is the one who planned such things, then it’s over. That’s really it. There’s no need to visit him.)

Leviste confirms

Leviste’s office said that he will file a case against the DPWH district engineer.

The case "is planned to be filed at the Office of the Batangas Provincial Prosecutor on Tuesday, August 26,” the statement read.

“We should not tolerate any corruption in DPWH. We should demand projects at better quality and lower cost, and obligate contractors to correct any deficiencies immediately without additional cost to the government. Beyond this case, we will push for broader reforms to address systemic problems of DPWH,” the statement added. —with a report from Llanesca T. Panti/KG, GMA Integrated News