Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste clarified his earlier statement that all senators had project insertions in the proposed 2025 Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget, stressing that the practice should not automatically be treated as wrongdoing.
Leviste issued the clarification after public attention focused on his mention of his mother, Senator Loren Legarda, as among those named in documents he said were obtained from the late Public Works Undersecretary Catalina Cabral.
“Sinabihan ako ng aking ina kung bakit ko nasabi na lahat ng senador ay may insertion. Kung maaaring linawin ko lang, hindi lang mga senador at hindi din lang mga mambabatas ang may insertions,” Leviste said.
He explained that the records attributed to Cabral showed insertions extending beyond legislators.
“Ayon sa listahan ni USec Cabral, may mga kawani sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng gobyerno na may insertions. Kahit mga Cabinet Secretaries at Undersecretaries sa labas ng DPWH ay may flood control project insertions, at pati mga ilang pribadong indibidwal ay may insertions,” he said.
Leviste emphasized that insertions are not inherently improper.
“Hindi ibig sabihin na masama dahil insertion. Mas mabuti maging honest nalang na halos tayong lahat ay may insertions,” he added.
Earlier, Leviste said that while his mother appeared in the documents he reviewed, she denied knowledge of the specific projects listed under her name.
He further claimed that senatorial insertions in the DPWH budget amounted to about ₱120 billion, with roughly ₱1 billion attributed to Legarda.