House, gov't agencies urged not to grant clearances to ex-Rep. Zaldy Co yet

Kamanggagawa party-list Rep. Elijah San Fernando has urged the House of Representatives and other government agencies to refrain from granting clearances to former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co pending the resolution of the allegations of his links to the flood control mess.

San Fernando made the call in House Resolution 435 that he filed on Tuesday morning.

“Nakita ko nga mismo ‘yung dokumento [of Co seeking such clearance]. It is for property, property, financial, and records clearance. ‘Yun iyong kinakabahala namin,” the party-list lawmaker said in an interview after filing the resolution.

(I have seen the document myself. It is for property, property, financial, and records clearance. And we are bothered by that.)

“At isa pa na question, di ba pag nag-apply tayo ng clearance, dapat present ka mismo? Meron bang nag-a-apply ng clearance in absentia? So the question is, who is applying for the clearance of former representative Zaldy Co?” San Fernando asked.

(Another question, shouldn’t you be present when you are applying for a clearance? Is there an application for clearance in absentia? So the question is, who is applying for the clearance of former representative Zaldy Co?)

San Fernando said he is not saying that Co should not be granted clearances at all.

“Pero, pending the investigation kung saan kailangan niyang sagutin yung mga alegasyon na ibinabato sa kanya as former chair of the Appropriations Committee, eh huwag muna siyang bigyan,” he said.

(Pending the investigation in which he has to answer the allegations against him as former chair of the Appropriations Committee, he shouldn’t be granted those.)

San Fernando warned that such clearances might be used to claim innocence.

Earlier, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure submitted an interim report to the Ombudsman that recommended the filing of graft, malversation, and falsification charges against Co and other officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways over the P289.5 million road dike project along the Mag-Asawang Tubig River in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. 

“And then there’s this accountability clearance, and there is a document stating he is seeking such clearance from the House. It can be used before the courts or any investigation bodies… He can say, ‘I do have this clearance from the House clearing me from any accountability,’” San Fernando said.

He pointed out that such a clearance document needs to be signed by various offices in the House of Representatives.

“It has to be signed off by those in records, property departments, among others. If he is given such clearance, it’s as if the institution is letting him walk away scot-free,” he said.

“Kapag ikaw, normal, ordinaryo ka na manggagawa, kawani ng gobyerno, and you’re applying for clearance, hindi mo makukuha pa ‘yung mga benepisyo from the institution or from the office na inaalisan mo hanggat hindi ka cleared doon sa iyong opisina. The same logic applies,” San Fernando added.

(If you are a normal, ordinary worker or government employee and you’re applying for clearance, you cannot claim your benefits from the institution or the office that you’re leaving until you are cleared by that office. The same logic applies.)

GMA News Online has reached out to Co's camp for comment on San Fernando's measure and will publish it once available. — With reports from Tina Panganiban-Perez/JMA, GMA Integrated News