Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste on Dec. 24 publicly released the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) list of budget insertion proponents for 2025, a document he said was handed to him by the late undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral.
He posted 19 pages of documents on Facebook detailing the DPWH budget by region and district, with proponents’ names tied to allocations under the ₱6.326‑trillion General Appropriations Act prepared in 2024 during the 19th Congress.
The paperwork was marked “As of 09/04/2025, 6:03 p.m.”
Leviste disclosed the list despite earlier saying he would only do so if instructed by DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon.
He has described the so‑called “Cabral list” as a potential “smoking gun” against lawmakers suspected of questionable project insertions in the current national budget.
Earlier this week, Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon dared Leviste to release the list in full and not wait for Dizon’s go signal. He slammed the Batangas solon for “confusing” the public with his “piecemeal” revelations.
Leviste had accused Ridon of making insertions to the DPWH budget last year even if the latter wasn’t a congressman yet.
“Mabuting malaman ng publiko ang nilalaman ng DPWH budget upang maipagmalaki po natin ang ating mga proyekto,” Leviste said in his Facebook post–a remark that may or may not be viewed as sarcastic, given his initial reluctance to release the list.
“Sana po ay hindi magalit sa akin ang aking mga kasamahan, at may iba rin naman pong sources tungkol sa DPWH budget,” he added.
Cabral reportedly died last Dec. 18 after falling into a ravine in Benguet.
Authorities are currently looking into whether or not there was foul play in the incident.
‘ALLOCABLE AMOUNT’
Leviste highlighted in particular the “allocable” amounts stated under “NEP RESTORED.” He said these annual earmarked amounts that a district congressman may allocate.
“Ang total ay ₱401.3 [billion] (na nadagdagan ng ₱30 [million] kada distrito sa 2025, ngunit nagkakaiba ang budget ng bawat distrito),” he said.
‘Bukod dito, may “Outside Allocable” naman na ina-allocate ng iba’t ibang mga proponents, kasama ang amendments (o insertions) sa House, Senate, Bicam, pati na rin sa NEP, kaya umabot sa ₱1.041 [billion] ang total budget sa FY 2025 GAA,” the neophyte congressman noted.
The list released by Leviste didn’t give a breakdown of the so-called allocables.
Since only district representatives were named, there were no 19th Congress senators on the list.
The NEP or National Expenditure Program is the basis of the budget measure that goes through the bicameral Congress.
The NEP or National Expenditure Program is the basis of the budget measure that goes through Congress. (Ellson Quismorio)
