Malacañang on Thursday rejected claims that officials under the Office of the President influenced the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget for 2025.
The denial followed allegations by Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, who claimed that P8 billion worth of infrastructure projects were tagged to offices linked to the President.
Leviste said the claim was based on documents he obtained from the late former DPWH undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, which allegedly listed projects marked “OP–ES/SAP.”
Former Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr. separately denied any involvement in proposing, endorsing, or funding DPWH projects.
Lagdameo said his office has no mandate to identify or implement infrastructure projects and has no authority over DPWH budget allocations.
He warned that linking his office to the controversy without verified evidence was irresponsible and could mislead the public.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the authenticity of the documents should be determined by the Office of the Ombudsman, stressing that unverified claims remain speculative until formally examined.