By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – Police arrested a district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for attempting to bribe Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste to stop the lawmaker from investigating anomalous projects in the province.
A police report to Camp Crame on Monday identified the suspect as Abelardo Calalo, 51, who was arrested at Barangay Poblacion Zone 12 in Taal, Batangas on Aug. 22.
Calalo is the officer in charge of the DPWH Batangas 1st District Engineering Office and a resident of Barangay San Roque, San Pablo City, Laguna.
Batangas police director Col. Geovanny Emerick Sibalo said Leviste reported an alleged attempt by Calalo to bribe him with PHP3.12 million.
“We received information about an ongoing attempt to bribe the congressman. We proceeded to the area and caught the person in the act of attempting to bribe (Leviste),” Sibalo said in a radio interview.
“This is not the usual entrapment operation. We responded based on reliable information and they (policemen) caught him in the area. He (suspect) was cooperative and we gave him his right to due process.”
The police recovered the bribe money, which would be used as evidence against Calalo.
“Our policemen followed regulations. All the evidence was properly inventoried,” Sibalo said.
Cabalo was detained by the local police and is facing possible corruption charges.
Leviste is scheduled to file formal corruption charges against the district engineer on Tuesday. (PNA)
