Finally, an example for lawmakers to follow.
Senator Ping Lacson is heartened over the example set by a neophyte congressman who rejected a bribe offer from a corrupt Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district engineer.
Lacson lauded Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste for his “integrity and idealism” in having the engineer arrested in a police sting operation.
“My snappy salute to neophyte Cong. Leandro Leviste.”
“My snappy salute to neophyte Cong. Leandro Leviste, Batangas 1st District for the successful police entrapment operation against a corrupt DPWH District Engineer who tried to bribe him with up to P360M in ‘kickbacks’ from infra projects in his district. May his tribe increase,” the veteran legislator posted on X.
The seasoned lawmaker also responded to a netizen who said the amount would not matter to Leviste because of his wealth, saying his integrity and idealism were more important.
“I don’t think it is about his wealth; it’s his integrity and idealism.”
“I don’t think it is about his wealth; it’s his integrity and idealism. An inspiration for all the neophyte congressmen to emulate,” the senator pointed out.
A statement from Leviste’s office identified the engineer as DPWH Batangas 1st District Engineer Abelardo Calalo. Charges against him were filed before the Office of the Batangas Provincial Prosecutor.
In a radio interview, Batangas provincial police chief P/Col. Geovanny Emerick Sibalo said the arrest occurred at about 6 p.m. last Aug. 22, after they responded to a call from Leviste’s office and caught Calalo attempting to bribe the lawmaker. The police recovered more than P3 million cash from Calalo.
Calalo reportedly tried to bribe Leviste to “dissuade” him from investigating DPWH flood control projects in his district, but Leviste arranged to have him arrested. Calalo is detained at the Taal Municipal Police Station.
Lacson, citing information he received, said the P3.6 million cash that Calalo brought was supposedly an initial payment, to be followed by another P15 million.
He recently delivered a privilege speech detailing the corruption behind anomalous and ghost flood control projects, including the syndicate-like modus of the DPWH’s 1st Engineering District in Bulacan.
Lacson also pointed out the importance of the actions of an awakened nation in helping the flood control project mess reach its “logical conclusion” – the prosecution, conviction and imprisonment of all those involved, especially the big fish.
Otherwise, he said those already involved in corruption will be emboldened to continue, and those not yet involved will be encouraged to engage in it.
Lacson earlier pointed out that the DPWH alone received some P1.9 trillion in appropriations for flood control projects since 2011, but failed to stop flooding. He estimated half of the amount may have been lost to corruption.
“For the past 15 years, this corruption worsened because those involved saw how easy it was to get away. As I said, it was a piece of cake for them, so they went all-out on corruption,” he concluded.
