Solons slam Leviste: Privilege speech is for truth, not baseless claims

MANILA, Philippines — More lawmakers holding key positions in the House of Representatives have called out Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste over his unparliamentary actions during a plenary session, saying that House members are given the opportunity to deliver speeches so that they can speak the truth and not make baseless claims.

In a statement on Friday, Deputy Speakers Paolo Ortega V and Jay Khonghun condemned Leviste’s speech last Tuesday, which they said eventually led to a “sweeping and unfair accusation” against several House members that had nothing to do with his grievances.

Leviste on Tuesday called out Executive Secretary Ralph Recto for allegedly working with CWS party-list Rep. Edwin Gardiola in gathering campaign funds for Recto’s family — Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto and her son, vice gubernatorial candidate Luis Manzano.  However, when Leviste faced interpellation, he made sweeping claims that all lawmakers engage in vote-buying.

“Privilege is given to members so we can speak truth with courage, not so we can weaponize the floor for rumors, innuendo and baseless accusations,” Ortega, who was the session’s presiding officer when Leviste delivered his speech, said.

“What Rep. Leviste did was unparliamentary.  Just because you are a congressman, you can ridicule people, make accusations, and drag the entire institution even if you do not have any evidence,” Khonghun added, speaking in a mix of Filipino and English.

Deputy Speaker Janette Garin, who was one of the lawmakers who questioned Leviste, said that the House should not be allowed to become a venue for “damaging claims that cannot be supported by documents, sworn statements or any formal complaint.”

Garin and Ortega said Leviste should lodge a complaint before the court if he has any evidence that would back up his claims.

“If he has a complaint, he should lodge a proper complaint at the proper forum. But if you are only bringing stories, suspicions, and personal grudge, that is not accountability. That is mudslinging dressed up as a privilege speech,” Garin said partly in Filipino.

“We can disagree sharply in Congress, but we do not destroy reputations casually. Parliamentary privilege is a shield for truth, not a license for careless accusation.  What we are asking of him is respect for the process and respect for his fellow House members.  If you accuse, you must be ready to prove. If you cannot prove, you must have the decency to withdraw,” Ortega said.

Leviste in his privilege speech on Tuesday claimed that Gardiola allegedly spent P1 billion over the entire Batangas to support Recto and Manzano’s candidacy.

“Based on my research and estimates, Congressman Edwin Gardiola spent over P1 billion for Vilma Santos-Recto and Lucky Manzano, along with their other candidates, and for himself as the first nominee ng CWS party-list in the 2025 elections.  In my district, my estimate is that P150 million was spent and for other politicians, they spent P200 or P300 million for their districts,” he said Tuesday.

After his speech, Leviste was confronted by Recto’s son, Batangas Solon Rep. Ryan Recto, saying that discussions within the House must not be based on baseless accusations.

Garin and Deputy Speaker David Suarez then asked Leviste as to where the Batangas solon got his basis to accuse Recto and Gardiola of conniving and spending P1 billion for the entire Batangas.  Suarez, in particular, rose to ask questions after Leviste mentioned his name in trying to prove that campaign expenditures in Calabarzon should be lower than other areas.

Suarez comes from Quezon, a province within Calabarzon that sits near Batangas.

When both Garin and Suarez asked how much Leviste spent for his own campaign, the latter did not answer directly.

Later on, Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon moved to strike off from the records Leviste’s allegations that are without basis — like the Batangas solon’s claims that politicians outside of Calabarzon spend more for their campaign.

Leviste was also called out by Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima.  During the same plenary session, de Lima approached Leviste and confronted him about his statements that everyone in the plenary knows something about vote-buying as it was merely “speculative, offensive, and unfair” to everyone who did not engage in such activities.

De Lima said Leviste vowed to withdraw his statements, which he later did after session resumed.

READ: De Lima pushes back as Leviste claims widespread vote-buying in House

Executive Secretary Recto, for his part, said that he initially does not want to answer Leviste anymore, but eventually noted that he cannot sit idly while the lawmaker shares lies.

In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, Recto said the neophyte lawmaker’s gripe against him was based on his refusal to hand over hectares of sugar plantation in Batangas despite a bribe of up to P1 billion.

Recto said that during their first meeting on an unspecified date, Leviste also came prepared with P400 million and urged him to use the money to influence a political rival to withdraw from a campaign.

Recto said he rejected it, but Leviste returned “a week later” and allegedly increased the offer to P1 billion for his wife, Vilma Santos, to withdraw from the gubernatorial race in the 2025 elections so he could take her place.

Recto said Leviste’s mother, Sen. Loren Legarda, was “crying” during the meeting.  Also, the Executive Secretary said that it was his respect for Legarda which stopped him from exposing Leviste and filing cases.

READ: Recto: Leviste offered P1B to make Vilma Santos quit Batangas gov race

Leviste and Recto have been trading barbs inside and outside of social media prior to the privilege speech.  On Tuesday, Leviste posted on his Facebook page several photos of Recto and Gardiola — first in an alleged dinner where Leviste was also present, and later on, photos featuring Gardiola and Recto along with other individuals like Santos-Recto.

In response, Recto said in a message to INQUIRER that Leviste is “crazy” — the same statements he made when he commented on Leviste’s post.

“The guy is crazy and a liar,” Recto said.

READ: Batangas pols Leviste, Recto trade barbs on, off social media

Ortega and Khonghun said that the move to strike out portions of Leviste’s speech is not curtailment of free speech, but holding one accountable to statements and allegations made without context and basis.

“This is not about stopping a lawmaker from speaking.  This is a discussion of accountability with your own words, especially if the person whose dignity is unfairly hit is a fellow lawmaker, or the institution itself,” Ortega said.

“It’s easy to make damning statements when you are just chasing headlines.  But we should not allow the House to be part of any collateral damage just out of a desire to make a privilege speech newsworthy.  The people have a right to know the truth, but suspicion made louder by a microphone is not the truth,” Khonghun said. /jpv