MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman will determine the authenticity and possible public release of the so-called “Cabral files” after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) turned over the documents as part of an ongoing investigation, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said on Monday, January 12.
Dizon said the files, which contain alleged records of budget requests, district allocables and proponents for DPWH projects, are now under the Ombudsman’s custody following the agency’s compliance with a subpoena issued on Dec. 23, 2025. He said law enforcement agencies will conduct a forensic audit to establish whether the documents were altered.
“As far as I’m concerned, all of these should be made public,” Dizon said at a press conference, adding that he will first seek permission from the Ombudsman before any disclosure.
He said the Ombudsman will decide how the documents will be handled while the investigation is ongoing. Dizon said the DPWH no longer has authority over the files.
The issue surfaced nearly a month after the death of former DPWH undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, whose records became the subject of public scrutiny following the release of documents by Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste. Leviste has claimed the documents show alleged budget proponents and adjustments during the preparation of the national budget.
Dizon said the first step is to establish the contents and authenticity of Cabral’s files on the DPWH budget preparation process. He said these records will later be compared with the documents disclosed by Leviste.
The files reportedly include district-level figures generated under Cabral’s “parametric formula,” amounts allegedly restored after adjustments at the National Expenditure Program stage, and budget requests that exceeded set allocables. Lawmakers are not supposed to participate during the NEP stage.
Leviste has said Dizon approved his access to the documents. Dizon denied authorizing how the files were obtained from Cabral’s staff or from a DPWH computer.
“The way the files were taken, which you saw was shown by the former staff of former undersecretary Cabral, and the taking of files from a computer, was done without my approval,” Dizon said in Filipino.
Dizon said the only documents he authorized for release were the allocations per district, which he said are already reflected in the National Expenditure Program and the General Appropriations Act.
Some DPWH officials have alleged that Leviste forcibly took the files from Cabral’s office and the agency’s computer system. Leviste has denied the claim and said he obtained the documents with authorization from both Cabral and Dizon.
Cabral’s legal counsel has said the late undersecretary did not explain how Leviste acquired the documents, only confirming that he had possession of them. Dizon said this matter is subject to a separate investigation.
Dizon also announced the designation of DPWH Undersecretary Ricardo Bernabe as the agency’s official spokesperson for legal matters.
Despite the controversy, Dizon said the DPWH will continue to accept project proposals for roads, bridges, classrooms, hospitals and other infrastructure as it prepares the 2027 national budget. He said there should be no issue in publicly identifying who requested projects and where they will be implemented.
He added that questions persist only on the authenticity of past lists, which prompted the investigation.
Asked about documents related to the 2026 budget, Dizon said he will check with the planning division if a list of district allocables or requests exists and said there would be no issue with its disclosure if available.
The DPWH also announced plans to revamp its budget preparation, monitoring and implementation processes with the participation of civil society groups. The agency said it will develop a new formula for allocating infrastructure budgets and will discontinue the parametric formula that previously allowed district allocables.
