The National Bureau of Investigation will subpoena former Negros Oriental 1st District Representative Jacinto "Jing" Paras and Batangas Representative Leandro Leviste over allegations that the two were involved in a scheme to frame Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, NBI Director Melvin Matibag announced Friday, July 31, 2026.
Paras, a native of Guihulngan City who once represented Negros Oriental's 1st District in Congress, has publicly denied the allegations, calling them politically motivated fabrications with no basis in fact.
Entrapment Operation Uncovers Alleged Plot
The case surfaced following an NBI-National Capital Region entrapment operation conducted Tuesday at a five-star hotel in Manila. Agents arrested a talent manager after the suspect allegedly accepted ₱500,000 in marked money, according to NBI Director Matibag. Five women were also rescued during the operation, and the suspect has since been charged with qualified trafficking in persons.
The NBI said the operation originated from intelligence that the suspect was procuring women and men for politicians, businessmen, and members of the uniformed services. During subsequent questioning, the suspect reportedly disclosed a separate alleged scheme to implicate Recto.
Affidavit Alleges ₱1-Million Offer Per Person
According to the suspect's affidavit, Paras allegedly made contact regarding the plan. The suspect and four women were each purportedly offered ₱1 million to falsely claim that Recto had forced them to use illegal drugs and engage in sexual acts.
The affidavit further identified Leviste as the alleged financier of the scheme. Investigators said the group was expecting a 30-percent down payment the following week — before the entrapment operation disrupted the alleged arrangement.
The NBI is conducting a forensic examination of the suspect's mobile phone to determine any communication links to Paras and Leviste, Matibag said.
Subpoenas Signed; Both Men Ordered to Appear Next Week
Matibag confirmed that subpoenas for both Paras and Leviste were signed Friday. He directed both men to appear before NBI investigators next week, saying the matter should be addressed before investigators rather than through social media.
Paras: 'Wala Pong Katutuhanan Yan'
In a statement posted to his personal Facebook account, Paras denied any involvement in the alleged scheme, addressing his countrymen and followers directly.
"Wala pong katutuhanan yan. There is no truth to that," Paras wrote, calling the accusations fabrications designed to discredit him for political reasons.
Notably, Paras did not name Recto in the post, referring only to "a top official of the government." He also did not address whether he would comply with the NBI subpoena, stating only that he would respond "at the proper time." As of Friday evening, the post had drawn more than 1,100 reactions and over 120 comments.
Leviste Has Not Addressed the Frame-Up Allegation
Leviste has not publicly responded to either the frame-up allegation or the NBI subpoena. In posts on his verified Facebook account over the past day, he instead pressed a separate and unverified claim asserting that an unnamed high-ranking government official had allegedly been with women at Rockwell, stating he had no involvement in that matter.
Leviste went on to accuse the unnamed official of spreading false information and questioned why a broadcast report had obscured a reference to Rockwell. Neither post mentions the NBI, Tuesday's entrapment operation, the trafficking arrest, or the subpoena. The Rockwell claim has not been independently verified.
NBI Cautions Claims Remain Unverified
The NBI has emphasized that all allegations originate from the arrested suspect and have not been independently verified. Authorities have not indicated whether additional charges will be filed against other individuals.
The five women rescued during the Tuesday operation are being treated as trafficking survivors and are not being publicly identified.
Recto-Leviste Feud Provides Backdrop
The allegations surface amid a months-long public dispute between Recto and Leviste. In May, Leviste used a privilege speech in the House of Representatives to link Recto to contractor money and questionable public works deals. The House subsequently ordered portions of the speech struck from the record for lack of evidentiary basis.
Recto responded by accusing Leviste of offering him large sums to persuade a political rival to withdraw from the 2025 race — accusations Leviste rejected. Malacañang has publicly described the dispute as a personal matter between the two officials and declined to intervene.
Paras's Record in Congress and Government
Paras served in the House of Representatives representing Negros Oriental's 1st District, where he chaired the Committee on Transportation and Communications. He later held an undersecretary post at the Department of Labor and Employment during the Duterte administration and has been publicly associated with the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, having filed complaints against various officials over the years.
This is not the first time Paras has faced and denied allegations of impropriety. A 2001 report named him among a group of legislators alleged to have received money to delay a congressional inquiry into telecommunications firms — a claim he and the other named lawmakers denied at the time.
By the Numbers
- ₱500,000 — marked money allegedly accepted by the arrested talent manager during the Tuesday entrapment operation
- ₱1 million — amount each of the five individuals was allegedly offered to make false claims against Recto
- 5 — women rescued during the NBI entrapment operation at a five-star hotel in Manila
- 30% — down payment the group was allegedly expecting before the entrapment disrupted the scheme
- 1,100+ — reactions recorded on Paras's Facebook denial post as of Friday evening
- 120+ — comments on Paras's Facebook post as of Friday evening
Why This Matters
The case draws a former Negros Oriental congressman into a high-profile national controversy involving the country's Executive Secretary, raising questions about alleged political scheming at senior levels of government. The NBI's forensic examination of the suspect's mobile phone and the required appearances of Paras and Leviste next week will be key in determining whether the allegations have evidentiary support beyond the arrested suspect's affidavit. The investigation also intersects with an ongoing and documented public feud between Recto and Leviste, adding a broader political dimension to what began as a trafficking case.
Photo credit: Photo from NBI / Facebook