MANILA, Philippines — It appears that Batangas Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste met his match, as Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima did not allow a simple deletion of Leviste’s claims that all lawmakers do vote-buying operations during election season.
During the House of Representatives’ plenary session on Tuesday, Leviste delivered a privilege speech where he criticized Executive Secretary Ralph Recto and members of his family for allegedly receiving campaign funds from CWS party-list Rep. Edwin Gardiola.
While he was being questioned by Deputy Speaker David Suarez as to why he only made mention of these issues now, Leviste said his focus is on transparency, and he wants candidates doing vote-buying to be penalized. According to Leviste, everyone in the House has a know-how regarding vote-buying.
“I am not a liar, I do not want to play coy with the people, all of us here in the plenary have knowledge that vote-buying is rampant and it reaches millions of pesos on average — and sometimes billions — for the campaign of candidates in the Philippines,” Leviste said.
“That’s why anyone who would stand here and say that I am telling lies, that candidates here in the plenary of Congress now are spending hundreds of millions, I would not be ashamed to say that they are the ones lying,” he added.
READ: Palace shrugs off Leviste’s ‘senseless’ claims
After Suarez and other lawmakers’ exchanges with Leviste, several motions were raised seeking to strike off the record portions of his speech — particularly allegations that did not have basis.
During the break in the session, de Lima said she approached Leviste and confronted him about his statements that everyone in the plenary knows something about vote-buying as it was merely “speculative, offensive, and unfair” to everyone who did not engage in such activities.
“Yes, we heard the motion of Rep. (Janette) Garin on the deletion or striking out of those portions or parts of the privilege speech without basis. I am very interested as to what exactly are those, specifically, because during the break, this representation approached Rep. Leviste and I was asking him about his claim, the general claim that everybody in this hall has engaged in vote buying,” she said.
“So I was telling him, can you please withdraw that particular motion because we find it offensive. For the record, this representation has not engaged in any vote-buying in any elections […] And I remember Rep. Leviste saying he is willing to withdraw that particular portion, so may we ask Rep. Leviste if in fact that is the case, that he has withdrawn, or withdrawing that,” de Lima said.
In response, House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos said that the said portions of Leviste’s speech are already subject of the motion to strike from the record. But de Lima said that she wants to hear it straight from Leviste’s mouth — that he is withdrawing this claim.
“Mr. Speaker, while we appreciate the sentiments of the Honorable Leila de Lima, I believe that part of which she was espousing with regards to the contents of the speech was already part of the motion […] in which parts of the speech have been stricken off, in which there was no factor,” Marcos said.
READ: House prosecutors next: De Lima, Diokno among those suggested
“I understand Mr. Speaker, Mr. Majority Leader, but we would want it from the mouth himself of Rep. Leviste, about that withdrawal. It’s not just striking out it’s in fact withdrawal from his part,” de Lima replied.
When Leviste was allowed to speak to make the withdrawal, he tried to reason out why he mentioned such a claim. But de Lima cut him off, saying that no explanations are required — that a simple withdrawal would do.
“First I would like to clarify that I meant that there are some, but not all — and there are many members of Congress who do not violate election laws, so please do not consider that I said that all, and I definitely withdraw that there are,” Leviste said.
“Mr. Speaker the request of this representation is with respect to the withdrawal, no need for any explanation, is he withdrawing?” de Lima asked.“Yes, but I think also for the benefit of the people who are listening—” Leviste said.
“It doesn’t need explanation,” de Lima fired back.
Leviste’s gripe with Recto was based on reports given to him by his team leaders, that Recto had Gardiola funnel funds to his family — wife Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto and her son, vice gubernatorial candidate Luis Manzano — for their 2025 candidacy.
READ: Batangas pols Leviste, Recto trade barbs on, off social media
Leviste was confronted by Recto’s son, fellow Batangas Rep. Ryan Recto, saying that discussions within the House must not be based on baseless accusations.
Garin and Suarez then raised questions as to where the Batangas solon got his basis to accuse Recto and Gardiola of conniving and spending P1 billion for the entire Batangas. Levsite said the information came from his team leaders and an estimate of campaign expenditures.
When both Garin and Suarez asked how much Leviste spent for his own campaign, the latter did not answer directly.
Leviste’s speech is the latest in this feud between him and Recto. Earlier, Leviste posted on his Facebook page several photos of Recto and Gardiola — first in an alleged dinner where Leviste was also present, and later on, photos featuring Gardiola and Recto along with other individuals like Santos-Recto.
In response, Recto said in a message to INQUIRER that Leviste is “crazy” — the same statements he made when he commented on Leviste’s post.
“The guy is crazy and a liar,” Recto said.
Leviste admitted in a previous post that he looked up to Recto, as he was a friend of his mother, Senator Loren Legarda. According to Leviste, he even took his oath of office before Recto, back when he was still Finance Secretary.
Leviste’s first mentioned Recto’s name in his criticisms last April 13, when he asked the Executive Secretary to stop blocking Congress’ attempts to cut or suspend collection of value added tax (VAT) on fuel and other products so that the government can ease some of the consumers’ burden.
Recto fired back, saying that Leviste should just do his work as a lawmaker, adding that nothing prevents Congress from passing a law that they believe is necessary to address the fuel price crisis.
Later on, Leviste made other allegations, like claims that several areas in Batangas did not receive a part of the P16.8 million allocation transmitted by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself, just because Governor Santos-Recto was mad at these barangays.
On Labor Day, Leviste said that Batangas residents have been calling for the increase of salaries and the removal of Recto from his post in Malacañang.
Recto, for his part, posted photos of Leviste taking an oath of office before him, along with other posts criticizing the lawmaker. /mr
