Leviste seeks resumption of House probe into flood fund mess

Batangas Representative Leandro Leviste on Tuesday filed a resolution urging the House of Representatives to resume its investigation into the alleged anomalous flood control projects.

"This is in light of today's protests, in response to the inadequate response by the government on the flood control scandal," Leviste said.

The House Infrastructure Committee conducted hearings on the issue last year.

But these were suspended to give way to the investigation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure.

Leviste pointed out that the ICI concluded its operations on March 31, 2026.

"It's timely to resume the flood control investigations," he said.

"Siguro ang mga miyembro ng Kamara ay may interes na bigyan ng closure ang mga testimonya nila dahil maraming miyembro ng Kamara ay pinangalanan ng mga indibidwal na ito," he added.

(Perhaps the members of the House have an interest in bringing closure to the testimonies because many House members were named by these individuals.)

House Infrastructure Committee chairperson Rep. Terry Ridon said the decision of the committee to suspend its investigation remains unchanged.

"The House Infracomm proceedings are indefinitely suspended, and we are letting the Ombudsman prosecute each and every member of the House and the Senate towards its logical conclusion," Ridon said in an online interview today.

"We don't want to find ourselves in a conflict of interest situation with the reopening of the flood control investigations. We need an independent body that will look into the alleged involvement of the members of Congress. We think the Ombudsman is doing his job in running after those involved," he added.

Ridon also cautioned against weaponizing congressional investigations.

"We had seen at the level of the other house kung ano po yung puwedeng mangyari doon sa pag-weaponize po ng mga pagdinig. Meron pong mga affidavits na nagbabago, naamyendahan iyon pong laman. Meron pong mga hindi kasali na biglang nasasali. Meron pong mga supposedly kasali pero biglang hindi na po kasali. That is the exact situation that we don't want to find ourselves in," Ridon explained.

(We have seen, in the other House, what can happen when hearings are weaponized. There were affidavits whose contents were changed or amended. Some people who were not originally involved suddenly became involved. Others who were supposedly involved suddenly were no longer included. That is exactly the situation we do not want to find ourselves in.)

"And we had seen it at the level po of the DOJ and at the level po of the Ombudsman. Whether kaalyad