De Lima, Akbayan to Zaldy Co: Come home, take oath, tell the truth

The Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Partylist and Akbayan Partylist, on Friday, called for former representative Zaldy Co to return to the country and swear to his allegations against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other government officials regarding alleged involvement in mass corruption.

In a statement, ML Partylist representarive and House Deputy Minority Leader Leila de Lima urged Co to cooperate with investigations and take oath on his statements.

“We urge former Rep. Zaldy Co to return to the country and fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation into the anomalous flood control and other infrastructure projects. He should take an oath and tell the whole truth before the proper forum,” she said.

In a separate statement, Akbayan Party-list echoed de Lima’s statements and called for immediate actions from the Ombudsman regardless of political inclinations.

“These developments mark a complex and even dangerous phase in the people’s fight against corruption. We urge the public to remain vigilant as we confront an increasingly volatile political landscape,” Akbayan said in their statement.

The party-list urged Marcos to answer to the allegations, and for Co to come home and face the due process “lest the public suspect that he seeks only to save his skin or advance the Dutertes’ and China’s efforts to grab power.”

“Moving forward, Akbayan Party will pursue this struggle with the people, following the evidence wherever it leads us. We will remain guided by truth, justice, accountability, and, above all, democracy. We will not allow this fight to be hijacked, derailed, or used as a shield by corrupt and undemocratic forces,” said Akbayan.

The statements followed after Co released a video on Friday claiming that the President, former speaker Martin Romualdez, and several other Cabinet members had orchestrated P100 billion worth of insertions under the national budget.

Malacañang had said that these accusations were pure hearsay and Co’s attempts to skirt accountability.  —Jiselle Anne Casucian/LDF, GMA Integrated News