Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste has claimed that he helped clinch the victory of Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto in the 2025 elections, and that the “Star For All Seasons” would have lost without his intervention.
It is also because of this that the Rectos feel “threatened” by him, says the billionaire businessman-turned-House member.
Leviste gave these remarks during Deputy Speaker Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin’s interpellation of his privilege speech, which was ultimately stricken off the record for having unsubstantiated claims.
In his speech, Leviste insinuated impropriety with Executive Secretary (ES) Ralph Recto’s association with Construction Workers Solidarity (CWS) Party-list Rep. Edwin Gardiola, whom the Batangas solon described as a “cong-tractor”.
ES Recto is Governor Santos-Recto’s husband.
The impassioned tone of Leviste’s speech promoted Garin to ask him, “Mayroon po ba kayong away na pukitika sa Batangas? Or kaya po ay magkakasama? (Do you have political infighting in Batangas? Or are you all on the same page?)”
“Actually ma’am, yung meeting ko with Cong Gardiola and Secretary Recto on April 16, as per my Facebook post, was for them to ask for my help for the campaign of Vilma and Lucky…para tulungan ko sila sa 2025 elections,” answered the 33-year-old Leviste.
(Actually ma’am, my meeting with Congress Gardiola and Secretary Recto on April 16, as I mentioned in my Facebook post, was for them to ask for my help with the campaign of Vilma and Lucky…to support them in the 2025 elections.)
“Dahil ang panalo ni Vilma kay Mike Rivera ay 7+ percent lamang at nanalo siya sa aking distrito, at natalo pa nga siya sa ibang mga distrito,” he said, as he seemingly underscored Santos-Recto’s narrow chances of winning the Capitol seat last year.
(Because Vilma’s victory over Mike Rivera was only by a little over 7 percent, and she won in my district while even losing in other districts.)
“Kaya pwede kong sabihin, kaya siya nanalo, dahil sa panalo niya sa aking distrito. Ako po ay may 75 percent ng boto, siya ay nakakuha ng 42 percent ng boto,” Leviste said with a straight face.
(I can say that she won because of her victory in my district. I received 75 percent of the vote, while she got 42 percent.)
But then Leviste said that he felt his relationship with the Rectos was “fractured” because of this display of political influence in the province.
“Siguro [ang] relasyon namin ay naging fractured dahil baka feeling threatened siguro–just my speculation, I’m sorry to delve into speculation–sila, pagkatapos ng eleksyon,” he told Garin.
(Perhaps our relationship became fractured because they might have felt threatened—just my speculation, and I apologize for delving into speculation—after the elections.)
Citing a manifestation of this supposed insecurity, Leviste said: “Ang isang halimbawa nito ay noong April 24, bumisita si Pangulong Marcos para sa Bawat Barangay Makikinabang (BBM) sa Batangas, at may 84 barangays na hindi binigyan ng kanilang P200,000.”
(One example of this was on April 24, when President Marcos visited Batangas for the Bawat Barangay Makikinabang (BBM) program, and 84 barangays were not given their P200,000.)
Leviste had accused the governor of blocking this benefit for certain barangays for political reasons. The Rectos have brushed off the neophyte congressman’s claims and attacks.
Leviste said that he had “no plans right now” of running for Batangas governor in the 2028 national elections.
