Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste on Tuesday bared new details of alleged bribery attempts by Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) contractors, adding to the widening controversy over the multibillion-peso flood control projects now under Senate investigation.

In a radio interview followed by a press conference, Leviste said that aside from the reported P3-million bribe he was offered, he was told he would be given a 10-percent “standard operating procedure” (SOP) cut from DPWH projects in his district.

Alberto Calalo, a DPWH district engineer, was arrested on charges of direct bribery, corruption of public officials, violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and breach of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials.

Leviste said the SOP was offered because the DPWH favored the projects initiated by his predecessor. He was allegedly offered 5 to 10 percent of the P3.6 billion worth of DPWH projects in his district.

“In corrupt practices, SOP means a bribe, not a procedure,” he said. “Now that we are scrutinizing the 2026 national budget, this is new to me because I am a newly elected congressman.”

Leviste recounted another bribery attempt by a contractor involving three projects, with the amount not yet finalized because the individuals were “very eager” to meet with him. One contractor offered to immediately withdraw P15 million in cash to hand over to him.

“This isn’t surprising to politicians, but since I’m new, I’m not used to it and I don’t want to get involved in this kind of practice,” he said. Leviste defeated reelectionist Eric Buhain in the last elections.

He said he has coordinated with the Philippine National Police to arrest the contractors who attempted to bribe him, stressing that SOPs must not be treated as casual payouts.

He said that in his district, biddings were not being conducted properly, with the congressman allegedly picking the contractors and then asking for SOP.

State witnesses

Leviste has called on the government to present Calalo, along with current and former DPWH employees and contractors, as state witnesses once the case reaches Congress, and to provide full protection to DPWH personnel who may be at risk.

He has yet to speak with DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, but he said he is leaving the handling of the case to him.

The allegations came as the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee has launched an inquiry into questionable multibillion-peso flood control projects.

On 19 August, the committee, chaired by Senator Rodante Marcoleta, summoned 15 contractors identified by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as having cornered 20 percent of the P545 billion DPWH budget.

Only 11 contractors responded to the Senate invitation, and just seven appeared at the hearing. Senate President Francis Escudero said the contractors must explain their side or face arrest.

Currently, the DPWH is verifying around 400 projects from 2022 to 2025, including those carried over from the previous administration, as questions mount over ghost projects, overlapping works, and the concentration of contracts in the hands of a few favored contractors.

“They need to clarify this matter. If they ignore the Senate subpoena, the next step is an arrest warrant, which I will not hesitate to sign if they refuse to attend the Senate hearings,” Escudero warned.

He added: “It is only right to examine and investigate this, because if there are widespread accusations—whether theft, ghost projects, or other anomalies—those behind them must be held accountable.”

Special body

Meanwhile, Liberal Party president Erin Tañada urged President Marcos to form a special commission through an executive order to investigate the alleged anomalies, similar to past fact-finding bodies created by previous administrations.

“The President can do this by an executive order, creating a commission to investigate. We’ve seen this before,” Tañada said, citing the Agrava Commission of 1983, which investigated the assassination of opposition senator Benigno Aquino Jr., and the Feliciano Commission of 2003, which probed corruption in the military.

“What is important is that the commission is embodied with subpoena powers so it can demand documents. Without subpoena powers, any commission cannot really get to the bottom of the story,” he added.

Tañada also said the President could ask his congressional allies to fast-track a law creating such a commission if he is truly serious about fighting corruption.