Malacañang on Friday challenged Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste to substantiate his claims of alleged insertions in the proposed 2025 national budget, stressing that the accusations must be supported by verified facts and authentic documents.

In a statement, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro issued the challenge in response to Leviste’s remarks, urging him to coordinate directly with Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon to confirm the authenticity of a list of alleged proponents of infrastructure budget insertions, which reportedly includes Cabinet secretaries.

“Why should this representation prove the alleged ‘Cabral’s files’ he claims to possess,” Castro said, referring to the documents Leviste said were obtained from the late DPWH undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral.

“He has started bragging about them, so it is his responsibility to prove their authenticity. Why should he shift his responsibility to others?” she added.

Castro warned that the so-called “Cabral files” could have been altered or fabricated, stressing that accusations should be backed by credible evidence before being made public.

“So, before anyone speaks and accuses someone, they should substantiate their claims with verified facts and documents. Sa mga sarili nilang alegasyon, huwag nilang i-utos o i-obliga sa iba ang pagpapatotoo sa mga sinasabi nila,” she said.

The Palace official also addressed reports claiming that First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos was mentioned in the leaked DPWH documents, saying the alleged lists remain questionable and unverified.

“Nobody can even assert that the alleged infrastructure project in Cauayan City, Isabela, requested by the First Lady pushed through,” Castro said.

Castro emphasized that without official confirmation from the DPWH, the documents cited by Leviste carry no probative value.

“There is no proof that they really come from DPWH. Unless the documents come from DPWH, we could not give the alleged ‘Cabral files’ or any list from an unknown source any probative value. It is nothing but hearsay and can be treated as mere fabricated documents,” she said.

Addressing Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson’s insinuations of a possible “cover-up” after Malacañang dismissed the claims as hearsay, Castro said the Palace was merely pointing out the lack of authentication of the documents.

“With all due respect to Sen. Lacson, it is the alleged ‘Cabral’s files,’ without yet being authenticated by the DPWH, that remain hearsay and without probative value. We are only talking about the unverified ‘Leviste list,’” she said.

“It is not acceptable to insinuate that the Palace is covering up for someone,” Castro added.