BATANGAS Representative Leandro Leviste is urging House public accounts panel chairperson Terry Ridon to step aside from an investigation into alleged budget insertions in the 2025 national budget, citing a potential conflict of interest due to Ridon’s party-list being implicated in the controversy.
Leviste filed a resolution on Tuesday, December 23, calling for the House committee on public accounts, and other relevant committees, to investigate Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects awarded to Bicol Goldrock Construction Corp., GCI Construction and Development Corp., and other companies owned or controlled by Steve and Gigi C. Ibasco. The resolution also seeks to investigate the alleged involvement of Bicol Saro party-list and their connection with the Ibasco companies in these insertions.
“The House of Representatives, through its committees, has the power and duty to conduct investigations in aid of legislation to ensure transparency, accountability, and integrity in the use of public funds. Records of the DPWH indicate that Bicol Goldrock Construction, GCI Construction, and other companies owned or controlled by Steve and Gigi C. Ibasco have been awarded contracts amounting to over P42.3 billion in the Bicol Region, and P4.68 billion in the First District of Batangas,” Leviste said.
Leviste also noted that files belonging to the late DPWH undersecretary Catalina Cabral identified Bicol Saro party-list as the proponent of two road projects worth P75 million each.
Given these circumstances, Leviste believes Ridon should recuse himself from the investigation. “In order to preserve public confidence and avoid any appearance of conflict of interest, the House of Representatives strongly urge the Chair of the House Committee on Public Accounts to voluntarily step aside, and so the Committee may proceed with hearings involving Bicol Saro Party-list and its alleged insertions,” he said.
In response, Ridon has stated that Leviste should first retract his claim that Ridon himself made the insertions, arguing that the 2025 budget was drafted in 2024, before Ridon was a member of Congress.
