Malacañang dismissed claims that sitting Cabinet secretaries were involved in controversial insertions in the proposed 2025 infrastructure budget, saying the allegations lack verification and amount to hearsay.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro emphasized that the government will only address documents officially authenticated by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“The Palace will only respond to the documents authenticated by DPWH. Other than these, they will all be considered as hearsay or tsismis which have no probative value,” Castro said in a Viber message to reporters.
The statement came after Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste alleged that some Cabinet secretaries and senior officials were listed as proponents of DPWH budget insertions.
Leviste said the documents were provided to him on September 4 by the late Public Works Undersecretary Catalina Cabral.
“Meron din mga opisyal sa labas ng Kongreso at Senado na may mga insertions din ayon sa listahang ito. Kabilang po dito ang mga Cabinet secretaries and undersecretaries,” Leviste said, adding that the officials had no direct role in DPWH.
He further claimed that the insertions seemed to serve as compensation for government officials not involved in proposing projects.
“Kaya yun po sa tingin ko ang glaring takeaway sa file na ito — parang naging compensation ang DPWH insertions para sa mga kawani ng gobyerno na wala namang business proposing projects sa DPWH budget,” he said.
When asked if some officials named were still serving in the Cabinet, Leviste replied, “Yes, marami po,” noting that while such insertions are expected, the detailed records could aid investigations.
Malacañang reiterated that only DPWH-verified documents would merit an official response.