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Marc Jayson Cayabyab - The Philippine Star
May 9, 2026 | 12:00am
Senate of the Philippines.
Graphics by Philstar.com / Enrico Alonzo
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Loren Legarda has sought a Senate inquiry on reports that 84 barangays in Taal and Nasugbu, Batangas were excluded from a government assistance program led by the provincial government and Executive Secretary Ralph Recto.
Legarda filed the resolution as her son, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, incurred the ire of Recto and other House of Representatives lawmakers, after Leviste delivered a privilege speech accusing them of vote buying and linking Recto to the flood control anomaly for allegedly receiving campaign money from “cong-tractor” CWS party-list Rep. Edwin Gardiola for the 2025 campaign of Recto’s wife, Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos.
Legarda said the exclusion of the barangays reeked of discrimination in the implementation of the “Bawat Barangay Makikinabang” program.
Legarda suspected that the barangays were excluded because of Batangas politics, hinting at her son’s political bickering with Recto.
Recto turned the tables on Leviste by issuing a statement saying the neophyte congressman had tried to bribe him and that he had reduced his mother to tears because of his mischief.
“Further reports suggest that such exclusion may have been influenced by local political considerations or other non-objective factors; photographs from the said distribution also show that the rice packs distributed to beneficiaries bore the logos of the Executive Secretary and the provincial government, as well as accompanying slogans, underscoring the need to ensure that assistance programs are implemented based on clear, uniform and non-partisan criteria,” Legarda said.
She cited the 2025 General Appropriations Act, which prohibits politicians from being involved in government aid distribution.
“Public funds for assistance belong to the people and must never be used as a tool for political reward, punishment, patronage, publicity or local factionalism, and any indication that access to such funds may be conditioned, influenced or distorted by political considerations undermines public trust and the integrity of government programs,” Legarda said.— Daphne Galvez
