The ‘disruptor’ in 2025

Before the year 2025 ended two days ago, an upcoming maverick lawmaker literally threw in disarray his colleagues at the 20th Congress. Standing up for “transparency,” Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste released proofs of government-issued checks.

Leviste took to the next level his responses to counter-accusations hurled against him following his series of exposés related to the flood control projects scandal.

The hard push back against Leviste followed his latest public disclosures on supposed “Christmas bonuses” granted by Congress to themselves. Leviste questioned the timing of the check releases coinciding with the ratification of the proposed 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) bill during last Monday’s House session.

Apparently, Leviste received these checks since he got elected in the congressional elections in May 2025. Leviste posted the photos in his personal Facebook account, showing Land Bank of the Philippines checks issued to him on various dates and in various amounts.

Senior members of the House of Representatives took offense after Leviste revealed each of the 318 members of the lower chamber received “Christmas bonuses.” Moreover, he claimed the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) of each congressional district were increased in the proposed 2026 GAA bill now being reviewed by the Office of the President.

Leviste is among the 60 or so young neophytes in the House of Representatives. He represents the first district of the home province of the Leviste political dynasty. At a young age though, the 32-year-old congressman has shown independence of mind. Leviste has lived up to becoming a disruptor of the existing order and system that have been feeding corruption in Congress.

A disruptor is someone or something that significantly changes how an industry, system or process works, often introducing new tech or models that challenge the status quo. Essentially, they break the usual flow to create a new, often better, way.

Methinks the ultimate “disruptor” is President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) himself. In his mid-term State of the Nation Address on July 28, the President himself derided lawmakers among his audience: “Mahiya naman kayo.” Little did PBBM realize that he opened up the floodgates of the “ghost” flood control projects scandal after deadly flooding from super typhoons hit across our country.

After finding out many of these non-administration projects got inserted into the Congress-approved 2025 GAA, the Chief Executive exercised his line item veto power. Aside from veto, many other congressional “insertions” were placed “for later release” (FLR), subject to availability of funds. PBBM knows all too well how these flood control and other infrastructure projects go through the budget process. After all, he served as a former governor and later as congressman of their home province Ilocos Norte, and senator for one term.

Leviste first figured in a bribe attempt he foiled after an alleged offer of “commission” from a flood control project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in his district. At a press conference at the House in October last year, Leviste warned newly installed DPWH “acting” secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon against questionable characters he brought in to work with him at the DPWH. In the middle of a press conference, Leviste was interrupted by a phone call. Punctuating his phone conversation with “Sir,” he refused to identify the caller.

PBBM appointed Dizon last Sept. 1 to replace erstwhile DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan. Implicated in the alleged “ghost” flood control projects, Bonoan left the country even before he could be charged. One after the other, Dizon had to let go of one undersecretary and later he accepted the resignations of two assistant secretaries he had hired.

According to Leviste, Dizon’s three deputies were allegedly linked to shady contractors involved in projects handled by the DPWH. He implicated CWS party-list Edwin Gardiola as among the contractors of flood control projects in the DPWH.

In subsequent events, Leviste got hold of official documents from the DPWH before the late undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral tendered her courtesy resignation to Dizon last Sept. 4. Calling it as the “Cabral files,” Leviste went to town about its content of information on the specific “proponents” of flood control projects involving politicians and other people in power.

At our Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum last Dec. 3, Leviste profusely thanked Dizon for taking out the two other DPWH deputies. And at the same news forum, Leviste pointed to the “Cabral files” he holds onto as a sort of personal protection.

“I’m thankful that I have this opportunity. And again, the question is: bakit wala pang gumaganti sakin? Baka kasi napakarami kong hawak na dokumento. Hindi lang ‘Cabral files’ ang hawak ko, ‘insertions’ hawak ko din,” Leviste told us at our news forum.

“Hindi lang congressman at senator ang may insertions; halos buong gobyerno may insertions. Pati Cabinet secretary at undersecretary,” Leviste pointed out. “At hindi lang congressman ang contractor, meron ding undersecretary na contractor. At yung pumapasok sa gobyerno na hindi pa contractor, nagiging contractor nung nasa gobyerno na sila. Syempre maraming gustong kumita. At kung contractor ka at may insertions ka, sayo na ang kita,” he further explained.

He accused his most bitter enemies of attacking him through paid “keyboard warriors” in social media. Leviste took to the Facebook platform in defending himself against being accused of peddling lies and half-truths. In his Facebook livestreaming the other day, Leviste finally pointed to “a high DPWH official” who called him up in that October press conference at the House.

Still not identifying the caller, Leviste claimed he was told to tread carefully with his media statements lest budget allocations of his congressional district will suffer, too. He further revealed some of his Congress colleagues even tried to reach out to him through his mother, Sen. Loren Legarda.

“Si Leandro na naman may bagong ilalabas,” Leviste quoted the plaint to his mother.

Apparently hurting from “troll attacks” dished out against him, Leviste teared up. With his voice cracking, he narrated the caller sternly reminded him to think about his constituents who will suffer the brunt of the consequences of his actions. It is not an easy path for a disruptor.