BATANGAS Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste has admitted to traveling overseas, claiming that representatives of the current administration requested him to “go abroad and stop releasing evidence” related to the ongoing infrastructure corruption investigation.
Leviste made the startling claim on Friday in response to media inquiries about reports that he was planning to travel to 20 countries. While not directly confirming the extensive travel plans, he acknowledged requesting a travel authority “upon the request of representatives of the administration.”
“I asked for the travel authority upon the request of representatives of the administration who asked that I go abroad and stop releasing evidence linking government officials to anomalous DPWH projects — but this does not mean that I will be abroad for that whole time,” Leviste stated in a message to reporters. He further asserted his commitment to participating in congressional proceedings, saying, “I will be present at any opportunity that Congress gives me to speak on any issue, as long as I am asked or allowed.”
When pressed to reveal the identities of those who allegedly asked him to leave the country, Leviste declined, citing a request from the representatives to his mother, Senator Loren Legarda, that their names not be disclosed.
Leviste’s allegations raise serious questions about potential obstruction of justice and attempts to suppress information regarding alleged corruption within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The claims are likely to fuel further scrutiny of the infrastructure projects in question and could prompt investigations into the alleged involvement of administration officials.
