What’s Leandro Leviste’s deal?

So we saw the revival of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the flood control controversy. Why more hearings, you ask. Because the government needs to keep up appearances that the effort to hold people accountable is still underway. Yes, we know that the “wheels of justice” continue to turn at the Department of Justice, National Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Ombudsman.

But without any patent visibility and noise triggered by the Senate inquiry or the proceedings at the now almost defunct Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), the government’s efforts, while significant, will not be felt by the public. And with that, the President’s approval and trust ratings will continue to plummet.

Public perception is, after all, at the heart of these theatrics we are subjected to on a daily basis.

There were so many issues of note from the proceedings last Monday. But I am especially curious about what the deal is with the young Congressman from the 1st District of Batangas, the son of Senator Loren Legarda, the erstwhile golden boy of renewable solar energy, Representative Leandro Leviste.

There was the time he injected himself into the DPWH corruption issue in the incident where he alleged a district engineer attempted to bribe him with P3 million in cash, followed by his infamous taking of a phone call in the middle of a press conference where he all but accused the staff of the then newly designated Secretary of the DPWH, Vince Dizon, of involvement in shady dealings and meeting with known contractors of the DPWH.

And most recently, there is his questionable possession of what is referred to as the “Cabral files.” No one really knows what exactly is in the so-called Cabral files.

Even during Monday’s Senate inquiry, there was no confirmation that the “files” in the possession of Cong. Leviste, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairperson Panfilo Lacson, and those supposedly with the Bilyonaryo News Channel (BNC) were the same files. In fact, BNC has denied the declaration of Cong. Leviste that it is in possession of the documents.

In all of this, Cong. Leandro Leviste seemingly, shamelessly and unapologetically injected himself right smack in the middle for the sake of thrusting himself into the political limelight and public consciousness by branding himself as a goody-two-shoes billionaire who has no interest in enriching himself further by dipping into the government’s coffers.

Leviste was obviously well-coached for Monday’s hearing. When asked about the provenance and legality of his possession of the “Cabral files,” he tried to make it appear that the fact that Undersecretary Cabral was present when he took them meant that she had consented. He even insinuated that Secretary Vince Dizon also approved of his actions. Only to be later refuted by DPWH Undersecretary Bernabe. Tsk. Tsk.

To my mind, the utter disregard of Congressman Leandro Leviste for the sanctity of official documents and his alleged forcible assaults on DPWH personnel for his desperate political posturing are unbecoming of a public official and should caution the public about his morals and ethics.

Perhaps in his wish to gain enough notoriety to run for the Senate in 2028, he is willing to do anything. It’s no coincidence that he will be turning 35 in March of 2028, just in time for May 2028 elections.