House leaders on Zaldy Co's allegations: Impossible

Former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co's allegations that President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and former Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez pocketed billions in government funds are impossible, if not unbelievable, House leaders said Monday. 

House Deputy Speakers Ronaldo Puno of Antipolo, Kristine Singson Meehan of Ilocos Sur, Ferdinand Hernandez of South Cotabato, leaders of their respective political parties, made the position in response to their former colleagues assertions that Marcos ordered the insertion of P100 billion under the 2025 national budget, and that the President and Romualdez are out to silence him, if not kill him, to cover up the administration’s corruption.

Co also said that he never benefited from such corruption.

“Masyado siyang bilib sa sarili niya. Sinong presidente ang kailangan makiusap sa isang committee chairman sa House…eh hindi naman niya kaya i-deliver lahat ‘yan. So bakit siya papakiusapan ng napakaraming makapangyarihan na tao para gawin yung hindi naman niya talaga kayang gawin,” said  Puno, who is from the National Unity Party.

(He thinks so highly of himself. What kind of President would need to appeal to a mere Committee chairman of the House? He cannot live up to those promises, so why would the powerful people ask him to do such a thing [of inserting P100 billion] when he has no capacity to do that?)

“[At] wala raw siyang natanggap sa lahat ng mga projects na ito. Eh saan nanggaling ‘yung mga eroplano? Saan nanggaling yung helicopter? ‘Yung mga bahay niya sa Europe at kung saan saan? Di ba? Saan nang galing na ito? ‘Yung hotel niya. Ano yan? Milagro? Dapat ipakita niya kung saan galing. Kasi talagang kung isa-isahin mo yung mga sinabi niya, talagang parang hindi ka makasagot kasi napaka-impossible,” Puno added.

(He also said he did not take anything from this kickback scheme. If that were the case, where did he get the funds for his air assets, including helicopter? His houses in Europe and everywhere else? Where did these all come from? His hotel? Are those miracles? He should show the source of all of these properties. If you really take a look at these allegations point by point, you cannot even answer squarely because they are too impossible to happen.)

Before Co’s allegations, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said last November 11 that malversation and other graft-related charges are set to be filed against the former congressman within two weeks in connection with the P289 million ghost flood control project in Oriental Mindoro built by Sunwest Construction, a firm owned by his family members.

“The former Congressman should come home, have his statement taken under oath and provide facts about his allegations. That is due process,” Singson-Meehan of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) said.

“His statement is pure hearsay. It is not sworn under oath, and there's no way to find out or authenticate the video. An independent body needs to check the veracity and authenticity of the video. No sworn statement, no authenticity.  At the same time, you know, when you come up with a statement like that, you have to be cross-examined. And all of these are absent. So there’s no probative value as of now,” Hernandez of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas added.

The Justice Department earlier said that it would verify the allegations made by the company.

Vice President Sara Duterte, meanwhile, said Marcos is facing a crisis of confidence given Co’s allegations and the flood control mess.

The House leaders, however, disagreed.

“We commend the President for taking the lead in uncovering the irregularities in the budgetary process. He promptly brought these issues to light, directed the investigation of those involved, and ordered the creation of the ICI together with broad institutional reforms within the DPWH,” the NPC said in a separate statement.

“By and large, we are all supportive of President Marcos here,” Puno added. —LDF, GMA Integrated News