Batangas Lawmakers Defend Recto Couple Amid Vote-Buying Claims by Leviste
Batangas lawmakers have strongly rejected the allegations made by Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste against Executive Secretary Ralph Recto and Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto, calling the claims unverified, harmful, and without solid evidence.
In a resolution signed by several Batangas representatives, including 6th District Rep. Ryan Recto, the group said that the accusations were based only on unnamed sources and lacked any supporting documents or proof. They stressed that raising such claims in a privileged speech without evidence misuses congressional privilege and weakens public trust in the House of Representatives.
The lawmakers also defended the Recto couple, saying both have long served the public with integrity and strong leadership. They highlighted their years of service and commitment to the province of Batangas and said the allegations do not match their record in government.
Leviste earlier accused the Rectos of allegedly benefiting from around ₱1 billion in contractor-related funds and linked them, along with other lawmakers, to supposed vote-buying activities during the 2025 elections. He also named a party-list representative as allegedly involved in financing political campaigns and claimed that election spending outside Batangas was significantly higher.
However, Batangas lawmakers described these statements as reckless and dangerous, warning that spreading unverified claims in Congress can mislead the public and damage reputations. They acknowledged that lawmakers are protected by freedom of speech in official proceedings, but emphasized that this right should be used responsibly and not for making accusations without proof.
They also expressed concern over what they described as a pattern of repeated hearsay and unsupported claims, saying this could harm public confidence in democratic institutions.
In their resolution, the Batangas lawmakers officially condemned the statements made by Leviste and reaffirmed their support for Executive Secretary Recto and Governor Santos-Recto, recognizing their long-standing service and contributions to the people of Batangas and the country.