Alleged ‘Incentives’ in 2026 Budget: Leviste Flags Suansing Staff Over Project Offers

Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste has raised concerns over what he described as alleged “incentives” offered through budget items, purportedly coming from a staff member linked to the office of Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing.

According to Leviste, the encounter occurred during an informal meeting in September, where a person identifying herself as “Attorney Jolina” allegedly presented a document showing ₱151 million in proposed 2026 budget allocations, broken down into various government assistance and infrastructure-related programs.

Leviste clarified that the document was not officially transmitted, was not in writing addressed to him, and was shown during a private meeting rather than through formal congressional channels. He questioned why such discussions would take place outside the established budget deliberation process.

The Batangas lawmaker stressed that if budget items are being framed as “incentives” to lawmakers, this raises serious ethical and institutional concerns, particularly since Congress votes on the national budget as a collective body.

Importantly, no formal finding has yet established wrongdoing by Rep. Suansing or her office. As of posting time, Rep. Suansing has not issued a public response to the allegations.

The issue has added fuel to ongoing debates surrounding:

• transparency in budget crafting,

• the role of informal negotiations,

• and whether “incentives” — real or perceived — undermine the integrity of congressional budget approval.

At its core, the controversy highlights the need for clear, documented, and publicly verifiable budget processes, especially as scrutiny intensifies over the 2026 national budget.