Metro Manila, Philippines – Malacañang said the Office of the Ombudsman should authenticate documents possessed and released by Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste, which he referred to as the “Cabral files,” citing multiple versions and inconsistencies that raise issues.
Palace press officer Claire Castro said verification rests with the ombudsman, noting that documents held by private individuals – even those presented by a lawmaker – may be altered.
She said different versions of the “Leviste files” have surfaced, some bearing handwritten annotations and names of Cabinet secretaries, while others do not, raising questions about authenticity.
Castro cited Assistant Ombudsman Clavano, who cautioned that documents vulnerable to editing cannot be considered conclusive proof. Claims lacking solid evidence, she said, remain hearsay until validated by authorities.
In a separate statement, Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr. rejected attempts to link the purported “OP (ES/SAP)” tag in the documents to the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP).
Lagdameo said OSAP is not an implementing agency, has no technical mandate to identify infrastructure projects, and does not exercise line-item authority over the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget.
He warned against reckless accusations based on unverified or misinterpreted information and said the office supports transparency, due process, and evidence-based investigations.
Leviste has called for a thorough probe into about ₱8 billion in DPWH projects allegedly tagged “OP (ES/SAP)” in 2025 budget documents, including a ₱300-million streetlight project along the Tagaytay–Nasugbu Highway in his district that, he said, appeared overpriced.
He had said the files – attributed to the late DPWH Undersecretary Catalina Cabral – listed 75 projects and that the acronyms could refer to offices rather than people.
Former Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin had denied involvement and called for a full investigation.
