BATANGAS 1st District Representative Leandro Legarda Leviste today called for flood control scandal investigators to disclose their connections with contractors, citing the example that the ₱11.5 billion New Clark City project of then BCDA CEO Vince Dizon, awarded to Malaysian company Alloy MTD, had as River Park flood control sub-contractor Lourel Development Corporation of the family of Congressman Edwin Gardiola, who is being investigated by now DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon.
While Lourel was a sub-contractor, Leviste noted that the sub-contractors of the project should be scrutinized even more given the questions on how this project was awarded to Malaysian company MTD. The New Clark City project had been flagged by COA and the OGCC for not undergoing public bidding in accordance with the Government Procurement Reform Act, and a graft and malversation case was filed on then BCDA CEO Vince Dizon (although the status of this is not currently known).
Leviste shared a Facebook post showing “Vince Dizon of Bases Conversion and Development Authority…Alloy MTD Team and Lourel Development Corporation discussing the existing biodiversity at the ocular visit of National River Park Corridor at New Clark City,” to establish Lourel’s role and dealing with Dizon in the New Clark City river park flood control project.
Leviste clarified this did not necessarily mean there was anything improper in Dizon’s dealings with the family of Gardiola, but also noted that Arrey Perez, whom Dizon appointed as DPWH Undersecretary, had set a meeting between Dizon and Gardiola, allegedly in Clark when Dizon was DOTr Secretary. Leviste has previously said that Perez has close ties with Gardiola from Batangas, and also brought in two appointees who were contractors or suppliers of DPWH and whom Dizon removed.
This, Leviste pointed out, establishes that Dizon has longstanding dealings with Gardiola, which he felt should at least be disclosed considering that Gardiola has been alleged to be the largest contractor still in Congress today and among those currently being investigated by the DPWH. Leviste previously hinted at a Cabinet Secretary linked to Gardiola, and that he would name him if he saw there was not enough progress in the flood control investigations by the end of the year.
Leviste said: “I hope that Sec Vince will forgive me for this, but I just need to respond to his statement that there is no basis to BCDA having had a flood control project—BCDA had flood control as part of the COA-flagged ₱11.5B New Clark City project, and the sub-contractor was a company of the family of Gardiola, who did not have a case filed on him before Christmas, and Gardiola also had a meeting outside the office with Vince set by Arrey. I don’t want to draw any conclusions, but I think the public deserves to know what the dealings of flood control investigators are with any of the people they are currently investigating.”
Leviste also clarified that he has received other information from DPWH whistleblowers about the agency’s new leadership, including the 2026 budget, which he is still verifying and conducting research on.
