Former Department of Public Works and Highways official Arrey Perez was removed from his post after Batangas Representative Legarda Leviste accused him of attempting to secure infrastructure projects for party-list Representative Edwin Gardiola. Leviste said Secretary Vince Dizon ordered Perez’s removal after learning that Perez tried to endorse Gardiola to him to obtain government contracts.
Leviste said, “The former Undersecretary of DPWH, Arrey Perez, is connected to Congressman Gardiola, and Secretary Vince Dizon eventually learned about this. That’s why Arrey Perez was removed. When they were talking, Usec. Arrey Perez tried to endorse Congressman Gardiola to Secretary Vince Dizon so that he could get government contracts.”
Leviste said two more DPWH officials an assistant secretary and a director IV were also removed after allegedly being brought in by Perez and linked to contractors. He added, “I thank Secretary Vince Dizon because after his internal investigation, he ordered the removal of an Assistant Secretary and a Director IV that were brought in by former Usec. Arrey Perez, who himself is a contractor. That’s why it appears that contractors are not only inside Congress but also in the DPWH.”
Leviste said Perez met Gardiola in Batangas and had been based there for a long time. He said this connection explained their ties. He added, “Arrey Perez has been in Batangas for a long time, and that is where he met Congressman Gardiola. But again, I thank Secretary Dizon because when he learned about this, he had Usec. Arrey Perez removed along with the two officials he brought in.”
Leviste has accused Gardiola of pre-ordering DPWH contracts at the National Expenditures Program level, a practice that assigns projects to contractors before Congress deliberates on the national budget. He previously presented a document he said was issued by former DPWH undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, which carried items labeled “CENTI2025” and listed infrastructure projects in several districts, including his own.
Gardiola denied involvement in irregular infrastructure allocations. He said he would answer allegations in the proper forum and said he was “disheartened” by the accusations, calling them “untrue.”
Perez resigned from DPWH in October after he was linked by Leviste to flood control contractors. Dizon said Perez stepped down to avoid being a “distraction” to the agency. Following the resignation, an assistant secretary and a director reportedly associated with Perez were also removed.
Leviste continued pressing the DPWH over what he said were large unexplained insertions in the agency’s budgets for 2025 and 2026. He said he rejects the DPWH’s claims of transparency while it is, according to him, withholding the identities of the proponents behind the P721.8 billion in 2025 insertions and the P496.9 billion in 2026 insertions. Leviste said he cannot accept the DPWH’s transparency narrative when it is “allegedly hiding the people behind the insertions in the 2025 and 2026 National Expenditures Program.”
The DPWH has not responded to requests for confirmation on whether Perez endorsed Gardiola to Dizon or whether the attempt was blocked.
