The controversial ex-lawmaker broke his silence on the flood control corruption scandal today.
During a late-afternoon conference on Friday, November 14, Malacañang Palace denied the allegations made by ex-Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizaldy ‘Zaldy’ Co, who implicated President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos in the flood control mess.
Co, in a video, said that the chief executive, along with his cousin and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, ordered the insertion of up to P100 billion in the 2025 budget.
“Ginagamit ng administrasyon ang buong resources ng bansa para tumahimik ako — that he will shoot me if I will talk and gagamitin ako bilang panakip butas sa kanilang kampanya laban sa korapsyon,” Co claimed.
He also said that it Romualdez who told him to stay out of the country as the investigations into the scheme began.
But he told that he was then blindsided when he became the “poster boy” of the entire issue. “Ginawa nila akong poster boy ng kanilang sariling kasinungalingan,” said Co.
Answering Co’s allegations, Malacañang Palace said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself initiated the investigation into the corruption that has resulted in the filing of criminal cases, issuance of asset freeze orders and implementation of reforms in the Department of Public Works and Highways.
“These wild accusations are completely without basis in fact. All the charges leveled against the President are pure hearsay,” noted Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Dave Gomez.
The official then challenged Co to return to the country to face investigation, and to make his statements under oath before the proper judicial authorities for legal accountability.
DBM’S PANGANDAMAN DISPUTES CO
Meanwhile, in the same news conference, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Sec. Amehan Pangandaman also disputed Co’s claim about the President’s supposed instructions for “insertions” in the 2025 national budget during the bicameral conference committee.
Pangandaman pointed out that the President had no more hand in the budget process after Malacañang had submitted the National Expenditure Program to the Senate and the House of Representatives.
This, as the two Congress chambers deliberate separately before convening the bicameral conference committee, which will then be sent as the reconciled budget to Malacañang for approval.
“All appropriations ordered by the President are already in the National Expenditure Program. That is why it is called the President’s budget. So we reject any insinuations about it,” said Pangandaman.
She added, “The bicam is purely under the power of the legislature. We respect and strictly follow the budget process and all our actions are above board.”
Pangandaman went on to divulge that the Office of the President and the Executive Branch complied with the directives of the Constitution to craft the National Expenditure Program, submit this to Congress 30 days after the State of the Nation Address, and to explain the proposed budget in public briefings.
“Pagkatapos po nun, magde-deliberate na po sila. Wala na pong role ang Office of the President, ang Executive sa bicam.”
“LUMILIIT NA ANG MUNDO NI ZALDY CO”
For her part, PCO Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Zaldy Co was merely diverting blame after he was implicated in the flood control mess for allegedly pocketing kickbacks and his questionable lavish lifestyle.
“Dahil lumiliit na ang mundo ni Zaldy Co, kailangan niyang iiwas ang sarili at mag name-drop kahit walang katibayan at laway lang ang puhunan,” said Castro. “Para masagip ang sarili sa paratang ng pagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan at mapalitaw na siya ang biktima, siya ay magtatahi ng maling kwento laban sa ibang tao.”
The Palace official then reiterated that President Marcos himself was the one who flagged corruption in flood control projects during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July, which led to the creation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to probe the matter last September.
Castro said, “Bakit niya pasisimulan ang malalimang pag-iimbestiga, mag-establish ng ICI to investigate the anomalous flood control projects and other infrastructure kung ang Pangulo ay may kinalaman rito. Logic. Hindi ba dapat na iiwasan niya ang issue na ito kung siya mismo ay mapapaso.”