Leviste Thanks AMLC, Court of Appeals for Freezing Bank Accounts Linked to Edwin Gardiola

Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Legarda Leviste expressed gratitude to the Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Court of Appeals following the court-ordered freezing of 1,193 bank accounts allegedly linked to Edwin Gardiola and members of his family.

According to Leviste, the freeze order represents a significant development in ongoing efforts to examine alleged irregularities connected to public infrastructure projects, particularly those involving the Department of Public Works and Highways. The accounts reportedly include those under Gardiola’s name as well as accounts associated with companies alleged to be linked to his family.

Leviste earlier submitted documents referred to as the “Cabral Files,” which allegedly contained listings of DPWH projects valued at over ₱20 billion that were reportedly pre-ordered for certain contractors prior to the approval of the 2025 National Expenditure Program. These submissions later formed part of recommendations forwarded to the Office of the Ombudsman for possible case filing.

The freeze order reportedly covers accounts connected to several construction firms, with the AMLC citing discrepancies between declared financial statements and actual bank inflows and outflows. Leviste has maintained that investigations should proceed beyond a single individual and include all parties potentially involved in irregular public fund transactions.

He reiterated calls for transparency, stating that sustained public access to official documents and continued institutional review are essential to ensure accountability in the use of government funds.