The political rivalry between Executive Secretary Ralph Recto and Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste has escalated significantly, with the Malacañang official publicly accusing the freshman lawmaker of attempting to secure election advantages through multi-billion peso bribes.
In a fierce statement released on Tuesday, Recto alleged that Leviste initially put forward ₱400 million in an attempt to buy out a political opponent from the upcoming polls.
“Sa unang pagtatagpo pa lang namin, may handa siyang ₱400 milyon… Tinanggihan ko ito,” Recto said.
The Executive Secretary further claimed that a second, more substantial offer of ₱1 billion was later presented, aimed at convincing his wife, Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto, to withdraw from her political plans.
“Muli, tinanggihan ko ito. Nakakainsulto. Nakakagalit,” he added.
The explosive bribery allegations mark a drastic turn in relations between the two prominent Batangas figures, transforming what was once a policy disagreement into an aggressive political conflict.
The friction originally began over proposed value-added tax (VAT) reductions on fuel—a measure Leviste supported but Recto strongly resisted, citing severe risks to government revenue collection. Since then, the dispute has widened to include clashes over provincial fund distribution, campaign alliances, and now, alleged financial corruption.
Recto is deeply rooted in Batangas politics through his long-standing alliance and marriage to Governor Santos-Recto.
Meanwhile, Leviste, the son of Senator Loren Legarda, has positioned himself as a prominent challenger and critic of the province’s traditional administration-backed leadership.
In his statement, Recto painted a grim picture of his political opponent, characterizing Leviste’s alleged actions as the desperate moves of an overly ambitious politician.
“He is a deranged and dangerous person who will even skin his loved ones, and use their skin to drumbeat his empty achievements to feed his narcissism,” he said.
Beyond the multi-million and multi-billion peso bribery accusations, the Palace official further charged Leviste with orchestrating deliberate disinformation campaigns and using his position to advance personal business agendas, pointing specifically to controversial land acquisition activities in Nasugbu, Batangas.