Leviste urges Batangas DPWH engineer to be state witness in flood control probe

MANILA, Philippines — The Batangas 1st District engineer Abelardo Calalo should be a state witness in the investigation into the alleged corruption tied to flood control and infrastructure projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Rep. Leandro Leviste said. 

“I proposed to engineer Calalo when we crossed paths in the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor earlier that he turn [into a] state witness and help us uncover corruption in the DPWH system,” the lawmaker said during a press conference on Tuesday, August 26.

Leviste filed bribery and corruption cases against the district engineer on Tuesday. Calalo was arrested on August 22 after the lawmaker reported to authorities how he was being offered an initial kickback or “SOP” of P3.1 million from a contractor of infrastructure projects in the 1st District of Batangas. 

The businessman and neophyte lawmaker explained that while the district engineer would be the very person who would know most about how contracts are fixed between the DPWH and contractors, he believes there are “bigger fish to catch.” 

 “‘Yan ay isang dahilan na pinapanukala ko na siya’y maging state witness at sana mabigyan ng ating gobyerno ng proteksyon ang ating mga state witness,” Leviste said. 

(That is one reason I am proposing that he become a state witness, and I hope our government protects our state witnesses.)

However, when Leviste approached Calalo about becoming a state witness, he said the district engineer appeared “overwhelmed” and has yet to give a response.  

“Sa ngayon po, siguro medyo overwhelmed lang si engineer [sa] marami sa nangyayari, kaya pinagdadasal ko po na ‘di man siya nakapagsalita, magrereflect po siya na sana ito ay maging isang public service din niya sa ating bansa,” Leviste said. 

(For now, the engineer is probably a bit overwhelmed by everything that is happening, so I pray that even if he hasn’t spoken yet, he will reflect and that this will also serve as a public service to our country.)

The lawmaker said offering state witness protection is in no way a form of “belittling the crimes” Calalo allegedly committed. 

Allowing the district engineer to come forward and reveal the inner workings of the allegedly rigged procurement system would help bring the “more guilty” perpetrators to justice, he said.

“Hindi lang po dapat yung mga employees ng DPWH ang dapat natin hinohold to account. And I believe with the help of state witnesses, we can catch a bigger fish,” Leviste added.  

(It shouldn’t only be the DPWH employees who are held accountable. And I believe that with the help of state witnesses, we can catch bigger fish.)

According to the lawmaker, Calalo personally confessed to him how there is no fair bidding in the 1st District of Batangas, revealing the kickbacks typically offered by contractors to congressmen.

He said that over P300 million in DPWH kickbacks is offered each year to the district’s congressman.

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