Executive Secretary Ralph Recto pushed back against Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste’s Facebook post accusing him and Cong. Edwin Gardiola of allegedly offering a partnership and asking for help in the campaign of Vilma Santos-Recto and Lucky Manzano.
In the comments section of Leviste’s post, an account bearing Recto’s name and a verification badge wrote: “The guy is crazy.”
Recto also later posted several photos on his own Facebook account showing Leviste with him and Sen. Loren Legarda, Leviste’s mother. The photos appeared to show Leviste during a formal visit or meeting at the Department of Finance, including images of a handshake, document presentation, and group photos with Recto and Legarda.
The posts came after Leviste uploaded a dining photo that he claimed was taken during a meeting where Recto and Gardiola allegedly sought his help for the campaign of Vilma and Lucky. The image, however, drew scrutiny from netizens who pointed out apparent distortions in the hands, facial details, and table reflections, with several users saying the photo looked AI-generated or digitally manipulated.
Recto’s short but direct comment, coupled with his subsequent posting of formal photos with Leviste and Legarda, appeared to challenge Leviste’s narrative, especially as the image used to support the claim remained under question.
As of writing, Leviste has yet to present independently verifiable proof that the questioned dining photo is authentic or that the alleged offer took place as described. The authenticity of the photo has also not been independently verified.