Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste has voiced his respect for veteran lawmaker Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, commending his enduring refusal to utilize pork barrel allocations throughout his legislative career.
Speaking in an interview posted on Friday, July 10, by news personality Bernadette Sembrano on her YouTube channel, Leviste shared his perspectives on public spending and anti-corruption initiatives.
The lawmaker noted his specific scrutiny of alleged irregularities within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), though he suggested that shrinking the bureaucracy offers a more comprehensive fix for systemic corruption.
“Pero I think generally, the cleanest solution is to reduce the size of government,” Leviste said.
Leviste drew comparisons to the administration of the late President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, recalling that the DPWH operated under a tighter budget back then because officials exercised extreme caution with public funds to prevent graft.
“Noong panahon naman ni PNoy, wala nga tayong deficit, e, may surplus pa nga tayo. Ang budget ng DPWH, mababa lang kasi takot silang gumastos kasi ayaw nila ng korapsyon,” he said.
Highlighting Lacson as a benchmark for political integrity, Leviste acknowledged that while the former senator may not be popular across all political circles, his principles remain praiseworthy.
“‘Yong politiko na masasabi kong magandang halimbawa. Although marami naman sa mga kakampi ko ay hindi fan niya. Pero in this respect, kahanga-hanga siya. Si Senator Ping Lacson,” Leviste said.
The Batangas representative further observed that even staunch loyalists of former President Rodrigo Duterte tend to view Lacson with skepticism, yet he insisted that Lacson deserves recognition for maintaining a clean record regarding discretionary funds.
“Marami sa DDS, ayaw siya. Pero in this respect, dapat naman na bibigyan siya ng credit. Kasi siya ‘yong senador, mula sa simula, walang pork barrel,” he added.
The discussion surfaces years after the infamous 2013 Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam, which revealed how public funds were funneled into bogus non-governmental organizations operated by Janet Lim Napoles.
Lacson has not released a statement regarding Leviste’s remarks as of publication.