‘STRAIGHT Talk’ hosts Chito Lozada (center) and Teddy Montelibano (right) listen as Batangas Representative Leandro Leviste (left) explains how asphalt overlay projects came to overshadow flood control in the manipulation of the annual budget for pork barrel purposes.
Photographs by Duane villanueva for DAILY TRIBUNE
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A week after the death of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Maria Catalina “Cathy” Cabral, Leandro Leviste on Sunday renewed calls for the public disclosure of critical documents and stronger witness protection in the ongoing probe into flood control projects.
Cabral, a career engineer and long-serving DPWH official who became entangled in alleged flood control budget irregularities, died on December 18 after she was found unresponsive near Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet.
Police said Cabral fell into a ravine near the Bued River. An autopsy identified blunt force trauma as the cause of death, with no immediate evidence of foul play, although investigations are ongoing.
Leviste said on DZRH on Monday, 22 December, that he has been in possession of a set of files Cabral handed him on 4 September, which allegedly list proponents of DPWH budget insertions nationwide, including lawmakers, executive officials, and private individuals.
“Nalungkot po ako … hindi dahil lamang ito’y isang indibidwal na may pamilya kundi dahil maraming importanteng impormasyon ang alam niya. At least ang kaniyang files ay nandiyan pa at sana pwedeng isapubliko ito para malaman ng taumbayan kung sino talaga ang nagpa-pondo ng mga proyekto sa DPWH budget,” he said.
Leviste added that many have urged him to release Cabral’s files publicly, but he is awaiting the DPWH’s position and guidance from congressional leadership before doing so.
He also lamented that Cabral was not made a state witness in the investigations.
“Nanghihinayang ako na hindi siya ang ginawang state witness,” Leviste said, stressing that site inspections alone will not reveal who funded the projects without insider testimony.
He noted that Cabral had “the most knowledge” about flood control programs, citing information shared with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
Leviste emphasized that accountability should not be limited to contractors but should also extend to political figures who inserted projects into the national budget.
“Alam naman natin na hindi lang mga contractor ang dapat managot kundi pati ang mga politiko na nasa likod nila na nag-insert ng mga proyekto sa budget at ito ang hawak ni Cabral,” he said.
The lawmaker also called on authorities to protect potential witnesses from the DPWH who may possess further information critical to the probe.
“Kung gusto natin malaman ang katotohanan, dapat nating protektahan ang mga witness galing sa DPWH,” Leviste said.
The controversy has prompted the Office of the Ombudsman to pursue cases linked to the flood control irregularities, including civil forfeiture proceedings aimed at preserving possible ill-gotten assets.
