Marcos to Zaldy Co amid flood control mess: Come home

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday challenged resigned Ako Bicol party-list Representative Zaldy Co to come home and face accusations against him.

During a press conference, Marcos pointed out that anyone could go to social media and make claims that usually mean nothing.

''Mahaba na ang mga naging usapan natin sa fake news and anyone can go online and make all kinds of claims, all kinds of things... paulit-ulit but it means nothing,'' the President said. 

“For it to mean something... Umuwi siya dito, harapin niya 'yung mga kaso niya... Kung mayroon siyang gustong sabihin, sabihin niya. Malalaman naman ng tao 'yan eh. But, come home, bakit ka nagtatago sa malayo?” Marcos said.

Co had accused the President and his cousin, Leyte Representative and former Speaker Martin Romualdez, as well as some Cabinet members, of orchestrating supposed "insertions" worth P100 billion in the national budget.

The former lawmaker 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 violate the Constitution.

Co also said that the government is in "full force to silence him."

Marcos also pointed out that even there were claims against him, he is not hiding. 

''Ako di ako nagtatago eh, kung mayroon kang akusasyon sa akin, nandito ako. Gawin niyang pareho para patas lang naman,'' he said.

Malacañang previously said all the accusations against the President were pure hearsay.

Presidential Communications Office acting chief Dave Gomez pointed out that Marcos himself exposed all the flood control anomalies and has taken numerous steps to ensure that ''the guilty are brought to justice, the stolen wealth recovered, and the system is fixed to avoid any of these from happening again.''

Another allegation

Meanwhile, in another video posted on his social media account Monday, Co accused Marcos and Romualdez of pocketing P2 billion of kickbacks on a monthly basis.

He also denied receiving P21 billion worth of kickbacks from the government’s flood control projects.

“Papalabasain ng administrasyon na ako ay terorista sa loob at labas ng Pilipinas para mailibing ako kasama ang katotohanan saan man ako pumunta. Pero mahalagang malaman ng taumbayan ang katotohanan. Sinasabi ng ICI at ni Henry Alcantara na P21 billion [ang aking nakuhang kickback]. Hindi po totoo ‘yan. Wala po akong natatanggap na ganyang halaga,” he said. 

(The administration will make me look like a terrorist in and outside the country, so they can bury me altogether with the truth. But the people should know the truth. The Independent Commission for Infrastructure and former Bulacan First District Engineer Henry Alcantara are saying I got P21 billion in kickbacks. It is not true. I never received such an amount.)

Co said his role was to confirm to Romualdez, via a text message, that the kickback money was delivered to the latter's residence from 2022 to 2025, and that such money deliveries reached P55 billion.

“Madalas hindi nabubuo ang hinihingi na P2 billion bawat buwan ni Speaker kaya iyan ang final total. Ang sinabi mismo ni Speaker Martin sa akin, hati sila ni Pangulong Marcos sa perang iyon,” he added.

(Most of the time, we cannot meet the P2 billion monthly quota that the then Speaker was asking. Then Speaker Martin told me that the P2 billion will be split between him and the President.)

The former lawmaker said he will later release the details on these deliveries.

These amounts, Co said, are on top of the other huge amounts of kickbacks.

“Mula 2022 to 2025, ang dumaan sa akin na pera para ibigay kay BBM (Bongbong Marcos) ay umabot sa P56 billion, wala pa po diyan ang P100 billion insertions ng Pangulo sa 2025 [national budget] at P97 billion flood control insertions sa 2026 [national budget],” he said.

(From 2022 to 2025, the amounts that passed through me are the P56 billion for BBM, on top of the President’s P100 billion insertions of the President under the 2025 budget and the P97 billion flood control insertions under the 2026 budget.)

The former lawmaker is believed to be overseas where he was supposed to seek medical treatment.

GMA News Online reached out to the office of Romualdez for comment on the matter and will publish it once available.

On Friday, Marcos said arrest warrants have been issued against Co and 17 others including officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways and directors of Sunwest Corp. over the alleged anomalous P289 million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Monday a blue notice has been issued by the Interpol against Co. —AOL, GMA Integrated News