Lacson: Zaldy Co's claims have no probative value

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Friday downplayed the allegations of former Ako Bicol party-list Representative Zaldy Co that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., former Speaker Martin Romualdez, and some Cabinet members were behind the supposed billions-worth of “insertions” in the national budget.

“As of now, walang (it has no) probative value kasi hindi naman (because Co is not) under oath,” Lacson said in an ambush interview right after the suspension of the hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee, on the anomalous flood control projects. 

Lacson chairs the powerful committee.

Earlier in a video message, Co alleged that Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman called him last year, informing him of a supposed instruction from Marcos to insert P100 billion worth of projects into the bicameral conference committee report.  

Ultimately, Co said the P100 billion insertion under the 2025 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was reduced to P50 billion since sticking with the P100  billion plan would make the DPWH’s budget bigger than the Department of Education (DepEd), a situation that would be in violation of the 1987 Constitution.

List of 'insertions'

On Friday evening, Co issued another statement through his social media account revealing the list of alleged insertions.

"You may cross-check the NEP 2025 to verify if the same line items appear there. To assist you, I have attached the list with the exact page references from the GAA 2025," he said.

"I suggest that before making statements that may unfairly prejudice the issue, the senator should examine the documents in full. The public deserves a fair, complete, and evidence-based investigation, not conclusions drawn without first seeing the whole picture," he added.

‘Narration’

Lacson said that Co’s allegation is considered merely a “narration,” unless he takes his oath. 

“Pumunta siya rito, mag-take oath siya, at sabihin niya ‘yung statement niya. Then ‘yun ang may probative value,” he said.

(He should go here and take his oath and repeat his statement—that one will have a probative value.) 

“I'm not saying it's unbelievable. Pero at face value, meron tayong sinasabi na ‘yung sabihin natin, common sense only because alam ko ‘yung budgeting process na nagsisimula sa NEP na ‘yung Presidente, may complete control over what should be inserted in the NEP. So kung ganun na pala, ba’t sa bicam pa siya magpapa-insert,” he added.

(I'm not saying it's unbelievable. But at face value, there has to be common sense. I know the budgeting process starts with the NEP and the President has complete control over what should be inserted in the NEP. So if that's the case, why would he insert it in the bicam?) 

Lacson emphasized that he is not defending Marcos, but said that it’s just “hard to speculate.” 

Outdated medical records?

Co was among the personalities invited by the blue ribbon panel to attend the November 14 hearing. The former congressman, however, did not show up as he "is still overseas due to medical reasons," according to his lawyer Ruy Alberto Rondain. 

Lacson said that the committee may issue a subpoena against Co, following his absence in the hearing. 

Also on Friday, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said that the medical records provided by Co to the committee as part of his excuse for his absence in the flood control hearing are “outdated.”

Gatchalian thus made a conditional motion for the committee to issue a subpoena against Co. The motion, the senator said, depends on whether the committee will still have a subsequent hearing regarding the controversy. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News