Philstar
Batangas engineer refutes bribery claims, calls payments to Leviste 'donations'
Batangas 1st District Engineer Abelardo Calalo admitted receiving donations from contractors but denied bribery and graft allegations, claiming he was following instructions to deliver funds to Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste for his projects.
Leviste refuted Calalo's claims, stating he does not accept donations from contractors and was shocked by Calalo's admission.
Leviste highlighted Calalo's admission of receiving donations from contractors, noting the alleged bribe money came with a receipt for three contracts totaling P104,230,000 and a note indicating '3 percent P3,126,900'.
Calalo's lawyer stated that Uswag Ilonggo Party-list Rep. Jojo Ang had repeatedly instructed Calalo to collect donations from contractors to support Leviste's projects.
The lawyer mentioned that Ang allegedly instructed Calalo to start approaching contractors for donations on May 8 and followed up several times.
In a statement, Leviste said the three contracts were awarded to TopTech Trading & Construction Co. Inc., a firm owned by Elrey Jose Noche of Lemery, Batangas, who has since left the country.
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DPWH Batangas 1st District Engineer Abelardo Calalo denied bribing Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste, stating the accusations against him are "part of a political agenda" and a "twisting of the truth."
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Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Batangas 1st District Engineer Abelardo Calalo has filed a counter-affidavit seeking the dismissal of graft and corruption charges filed against him by Batangas Representative Leandro Leviste.
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House Speaker Martin Romualdez and other lawmakers have denied allegations of demanding kickbacks from government infrastructure projects, as claimed by construction magnate Pacifico "Curlee" Discaya.
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