Senate blue ribbon panel no longer inviting Zaldy Co via Zoom — Lacson

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Thursday said that the Senate blue ribbon committee will no longer invite resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co to attend the next hearing on anomalous flood control projects through a video conferencing platform. 

Lacson, who now chairs the committee anew, said he decided on the matter as Co might use his possible attendance via Zoom for “propaganda purposes.”

“I didn’t push through with the initial plan to invite him via Zoom. On second thought, the hearing might afford him a platform to say anything he wants even with no probative value and worse, for propaganda purposes only without any accountability for at least possible contempt citation,” he explained. 

Lacson said this after Senator Imee Marcos earlier Thursday claimed that Co will be attending the November 14 blue ribbon hearing via Zoom. 

“Ang ating VIP, hindi na star witness kasi hindi na a-appear ang dating Speaker, kundi ang darating daw eh si Zaldy Co on Zoom. ‘Yun ang latest na balita. Baka magbago pa, tignan natin. Pero higit sa lahat, panoorin ninyo at alam naman nating lahat niloloko lang tayo,” Marcos told members of the media. 

(Our VIP is no longer a star witness because the former Speaker will no longer appear in the hearing. Instead, Zaldy Co will be appearing via Zoom. That's the latest news. It might still change, let's see. But above all, watch the hearing because we all know that we're only being fooled.)

In response, Lacson said he would rather focus on recovering his voice in time for the Senate’s plenary deliberations on the 2026 national budget beginning Thursday, and the next blue ribbon hearing on Friday. 

“More than Sen. Imee’s 'crystal ball', my bigger concern is how to recover my normal voice in time for tomorrow’s BRC hearing or this afternoon’s budget plenary debates which I have intended to interpellate. I’ve lost my voice since yesterday after drinking ice cold water with a sore throat last Tuesday night,” he said. 

According to Lacson, Co’s lawyer informed the committee that the former congressman is undergoing medical treatment in the United States and has “asked to be excused from tomorrow’s hearing.”

Co’s camp has welcomed the development. 

“I'm happy Sen. Lacson sees it that way. That is a distinct possibility given the way things have been going,” Co’s counsel, Atty. Ruy Rondain, told GMA News Online.

Imee’s ‘crystal ball’

Lacson made the explanation after Senator Imee Marcos earlier Thursday claimed that Co will be attending the November 14 blue ribbon hearing via Zoom. 

To recall, Lacson on Tuesday said that Co would be invited to attend the next blue ribbon hearing via Zoom. He explained that if the former congressman cannot physically go to a Philippine embassy to attend the hearing, he can affirm his affidavit through a consul on another day.

On Wednesday, Marcos alleged that her cousin, former House Speaker and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez, may be the "VIP" witness who is supposed to be presented in the hearing on Friday. 

She, however, said Romualdez may no longer attend the hearing. 

Both Co and Romualdez have repeatedly denied allegations that they are involved in the flood control scandal. — RSJ/RF, GMA Integrated News