Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste said Wednesday that the Office of the Ombudsman had reached out to apologize to him over what he described as an “inaccurate” video statement regarding the so-called Cabral files.
Speaking on ANC’s Headstart, Leviste said an Ombudsman staff member expressed regret over the video posted by Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano, which claimed that Leviste only submitted a limited copy of the documents. According to Leviste, Clavano later conveyed through intermediaries that he had not been instructed by superiors to issue the video statement.
Clavano, however, issued his own response following Leviste’s remarks, saying he would not engage with claims that the Ombudsman apologized. He described the issue as a distraction and reiterated that the matter should remain focused on the broader investigation rather than personalities. Clavano had earlier said that digital copies of documents held by third parties may lack evidentiary value due to the risk of alteration or incomplete context.
Leviste countered that Clavano was not present during his meeting with Ombudsman staff, stressing that he provided more than what was requested at the time. He added that the meeting’s original agenda concerned other district projects and that the Cabral files were raised on his own initiative. The lawmaker called on the Ombudsman to correct the video, saying public attention should be directed toward explaining how DPWH funds were used rather than limiting the release of documents.
