Dizon rejects Leviste's claims on flood funds

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has dismissed allegations over supposed budget insertions for flood control projects, calling the claims “baseless and malicious.”

In a statement on Tuesday, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon responded to accusations by Representative Leandro Leviste that he made budget insertions, also referred to as “allocables,” for flood control projects linked to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).

Dizon said no flood control projects under the BCDA were funded through insertions, “allocable funds,” or any discretionary source.

The BCDA, which Dizon previously led, backed the denial, saying it has no flood control projects financed through such funding schemes and that “any claims of ‘allocable’ or discretionary funding for such purposes are baseless and false.”

Dizon also questioned the timing of the allegations, which came after reports that some DPWH staff accused Leviste of forcibly and illegally taking documents from the late Undersecretary Catalina Cabral.