Metro Manila, Philippines – Leaders of majority parties in the House of Representatives on Monday, Nov. 17, slammed former lawmaker Zaldy Co’s allegations in the flood control corruption scandal, and insisted that he must return and submit a sworn statement.
Co has released a three-part video that linked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his cousin Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez to anomalies in flood control projects, which, the lawmakers said, remains “hearsay” pending a sworn affidavit.
Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno, the National Unity Party chairman, said the majority is “solid” and that “everybody is in support of President Marcos here.”
He said Co is the “most guilty” in the flood control mess, adding that his statements were a diversionary tactic.
Co, a former House appropriations panel chairman, said Marcos ordered him to insert P100 billion in the 2025 budget.
He denied receiving kickbacks and said he only delivered the money to Marcos and Romualdez.
“We have to take all of these with a grain of salt. He’s not credible, period,” Puno told a media briefing.
“Walang sworn statement. Walang authenticity [There is no sworn statement. The video has no authenticity]. At the same time, when you come up with a statement like that, you have to be cross examined,” Deputy Speaker Ferdinand Hernandez said.
“All of these are absent so meaning to say, no probative value as of now,” said Hernandez of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, the president’s party.
Deputy Majority Leader Zia Alonto Adiong said Romualdez has “no inch of violence in his system.”
In his tell-all video, Co said Romualdez threatened him that “he will shoot me if I will talk.”
Adiong is from Lakas-CMD led by Romualdez.
“Ito ang sinasabi sa Lakas, kung pag-uusapan ang issue ng corruption na ito, dapat base sa verified facts and ebidensiya,” he said in the news conference.
[Translation: In Lakas, we say that when we talk about the corruption issue, it must be based on verified facts and evidence.]
Puno and Adiong said they doubted Co’s kickback denial despite his questionable wealth.
Co SALN
Meanwhile, Hernandez said a committee has yet to discuss publicizing Co’s statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) as he is no longer a member of Congress.
“May question of legality lang… As far as jurisdiction is concerned, walang jurisdiction ang Congress sa kanya ngayon.”
[Translation: There is only a question of legality. As far as jurisdiction is concerned, Congress currently has no jurisdiction over him.]
