POLICE arrested a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district engineer after he tried to bribe Batangas First District Representative Leandro Leviste in an attempt to dissuade him from initiating an investigation on anomalous infrastructure projects in his jurisdiction.
A report from the Police Regional Office 4A (PRO 4A) that reached Camp Crame on Monday, August 25, 2025, stated that the 51-year-old suspect was arrested in a special operation in Barangay Poblacion in Taal, Batangas.
Police said it was Leviste himself who tapped them for the arrest of the suspect who tried to hand him over almost P3.2-million grease money.
Charges for violation of Republic Act 3019, also known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, will be filed against the suspect.
In a statement, Leviste identified the arrested suspect as Batangas First District Engineer Abelardo Calalo.
“The office of Congressman Leandro Legarda Leviste confirms that a case against Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Batangas First District Engineer (DE) Abelardo Calalo is planned to be filed at the Office of the Batangas Provincial Prosecutor on Tuesday, August 26,” said Leviste.
“We should not tolerate any corruption in DPWH. We should demand projects at better quality and lower cost, and obligate contractors to correct any deficiencies immediately without additional cost to government. Beyond this case, we will push for broader reforms to address systemic problems of DPWH,” he added.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier launched a crackdown against anomalous flood control projects across the country following massive flooding brought about by a series of weather disturbances that submerged communities, affecting thousands of families across the country. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)