Metro Manila, Philippines – Senator Win Gatchalian denied allegations linking him to the so-called “Cabral files,” calling claims that he sought budget insertions from the Department of Public Works and Highways as “lies” without factual basis.
Speaking on The Newsmaker on Monday, Dec. 29, Gatchalian said he has never communicated with or requested projects from late DPWH undersecretary Catalina Cabral, allegedly behind the documents circulating online.
“That is a lie. There is no truth to it,” Gatchalian said. “I never talked to Usec. Cabrall during my stint as senator, and I never asked DPWH — under any secretary — for projects.”
The controversy stems from claims by Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, who has alleged that lawmakers made insertions in the DPWH budget based on a supposed list attributed to the late undersecretary. The documents, widely referred to as the “Cabral files,” have circulated online but have not been officially authenticated.
Gatchalian said he has not seen the alleged files and warned against treating unverified online materials as evidence.
“There are so many things flying around the internet. We don’t know what’s real and what’s not,” he said. “Any document being presented to the public should first be validated by an authoritative source, at the very least by the DPWH.”
The senator acknowledged that lawmakers often refer requests from local government units to national agencies but stressed that such referrals do not equate to influencing budget insertions or project implementation.
“Our role is limited to referrals,” he said. “We do not meddle in the inclusion of projects in the National Expenditure Program, nor do we interfere in implementation.”
Gatchalian joined other lawmakers in rejecting Leviste’s claims, saying they lack supporting evidence and have not been officially submitted to the Senate or investigative bodies. He said the alleged files would be difficult to use as a basis for action without proper authentication, especially since the purported source is no longer alive.
Malacañang has also dismissed the claims as hearsay until authenticated by the DPWH. The department has yet to publicly confirm or deny the existence of the alleged list.
Calls for accountability have mounted as lawmakers across both chambers questioned the credibility of the accusations and urged anyone in possession of the documents to formally submit them to authorities, including the Office of the Ombudsman.
Until then, Gatchalian said, the allegations remain unproven.
“As long as these files are not validated, they cannot be used as evidence,” he said. “We should be careful not to treat rumors as facts.”
