Congressman Rejects Bribe; DPWH Engineer Arrested
DPWH – A district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways was arrested in Taal, Batangas, after allegedly attempting to bribe Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste with more than ₱3.1 million in exchange for halting a planned investigation into questionable flood control and infrastructure projects.
Authorities identified the suspect as “Abe,” a 51-year-old DPWH district engineer from Balayan, Batangas. He was apprehended on the evening of Friday, August 22, during a police entrapment operation in Barangay Poblacion, Taal. Police reports revealed that earlier that day, at around 4:30 p.m., the engineer had approached Congressman Leviste and offered ₱3,126,900 in cash. The money was allegedly intended to dissuade the young lawmaker from pursuing a probe into reported anomalies involving DPWH projects in Batangas’ first district.
Investigators said the cash offer was only the beginning. The engineer had promised Leviste a share of five to ten percent from a ₱3.6-billion budget allocation for 2025 projects, equivalent to ₱180 million to ₱360 million. He also offered an even larger cut—15 to 20 percent—from 2026 projects, claiming that contractors were likewise willing to provide contributions. He described this practice as a “standard operating procedure” within the agency.
To back his offer, the engineer reportedly brought an initial ₱3.6 million in cash and assured the congressman that an additional ₱15 million would be delivered the following day. Believing he had secured the lawmaker’s cooperation, he was instead arrested by the Philippine National Police in a sting operation. Police recovered the bribe money and a list of ongoing DPWH projects from his possession.
The suspect is currently in the custody of the Taal Municipal Police Station and has undergone a medical examination at Batangas Provincial Hospital. Charges for corruption of public officials under the Revised Penal Code, along with violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, are being prepared by the provincial prosecutor’s office.
DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan welcomed the arrest, stressing that district engineers who engage in such practices must face the consequences. He added that there is no need for leniency, emphasizing that officials who attempt bribery should face the full weight of the law.