A fiery exchange erupted on the House plenary floor on Tuesday as Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste and Batangas 6th District Representative Ryan Recto traded sharp rebukes over allegations of corruption and personal insults.
The conflict escalated during Leviste’s privilege speech, which served as a direct response to Executive Secretary Ralph Recto—the older Recto—who had previously labeled him “crazy and a liar.”
Leviste fired back sharply against the cabinet official’s swipe.
“Matapos akong tawagin ni Executive Secretary Ralph Recto na baliw. Kung baliw man ako, at least hindi ako magnanakaw,” Leviste said.
Leviste suggested that the Executive Secretary was deeply bothered by his public scrutiny regarding the official’s ties to Construction Workers Solidarity (CWS) Party-list Representative Edwin Gardiola, urging him to clarify the matter instead of resorting to name-calling.
“Tila affected si Recto sa mga post ko sa kanya at si Congressman Edwin Gardiola at mabuti kung magpaliwanag na lang siya tungkol dito,” he added.
The friction stems from Leviste’s earlier call for a congressional inquiry into the purported connection between Ralph Recto and Gardiola.
Leviste claimed that coordinated political attacks against him commenced shortly after he began investigating Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects in Batangas, alongside firms allegedly linked to the Gardiolas.
Defending his father, Representative Ryan Recto took to the floor to firmly reject Leviste’s claims, cautioning the chamber against becoming a platform for unsubstantiated rumors.
“I believe that it is equally important that information shared in this plenary is accurately based on fact, not assumptions, not insinuations, and certainly not incomplete information,” the younger Recto said.
“Hindi po dapat ginagamit ang plenaryong ito upang lahat ng mga haka-haka at mga paratang na walang sapat na basehan,” he added.
The younger Recto clarified that the relationship between his father and Gardiola is “purely professional,” rooted in their shared duties as lawmakers and fellow Batangueños.
He emphasized that their interactions are driven solely by a mutual commitment to public service rather than personal interests.
“Walang katotohanan ang mga alegasyon ni Congressman Leviste na mayroon silang mga maanomalyang transaksyon. Fake news po yan,” Recto concluded.