Zaldy Co keen to testify on Marcos impeachment complaint, says Defensor

Former Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co is willing to testify on the third impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

"Zaldy Co is willing to testify on our behalf doon sa graft and corruption issue at sa lahat na nalalaman niyang bigayan ng pera, maging yung pagkaayos ng budget in the unprogrammed allocation," said former partylist lawmaker Michael Defensor, one of the complainants in the third impeachment complaint against Marcos.

(Zaldy Co is willing to testify on our behalf on the graft and corruption issue and on everything he knows about the payoffs, including the budget adjustment in the unprogrammed allocation.)

"Noong malaman ni Zaldy Co na mag-file kami ng impeachment complaint at lalo't malaman niya na binlock, he is willing to testify to enhance the impeachment complaint we had filed. Ang sabi niya noon nga sa Senate, ay gusto na niya sa Blue Ribbon Committee. Hindi siya pinayagan. Inaasahan niya, inaasahan namin na dito sa impeachment complaint ay papayagan siya mag-testify," Defensor added in a news conference.

(When Zaldy Co found out that we were going to file an impeachment complaint and especially when he learned that it was blocked, he was willing to testify to enhance the impeachment complaint we had filed. He previously said that he wanted to testify in the Blue Ribbon Committee in the Senate. He was not allowed. He expected, we expected that in this impeachment complaint he would be allowed to testify.)

When asked for details of his communication with Co, Defensor said he would divulge these at a later time.

On Thursday, Defensor and several former government officials attempted to file an impeachment complaint against Marcos before the House of Representatives, but it was not received by the Office of the Secretary General because its head, Cheloy Garafil, was abroad to receive an award.

The group said it is seriously considering filing a complaint against Garafil and her office for refusing to receive the complaint.

"This is a warning to the Office of the Secretary General, that we will file a case against the office," Defensor said.

"We have already submitted a complaint in the constitutional sense. May constitutional violation si Secretary General Garafil. Whether we left a copy or not, we already tendered the submission of our complaint. Now the ball is in the hands of Garafil. And we will file charges against her," lawyer Manuelito Luna said in the same press conference.

Both Defensor and Luna are listed as complainants.

Luna also cited a precedent where an impeachment complaint was received by the Office of the Secretary General even though the official was not physically present at that time.

"Noong [former Comelec chairperson Andres] Bautista impeachment, hindi kami blinock. In-accept ang aming impeachment complaint. Walang SecGen noon. Ang deputy ang nag-accept ng aming impeachment. Kaya may precedent na sa House," Luna said.

(During the Bautista impeachment, we were not blocked. Our impeachment complaint was accepted. There was no SecGen then. The deputy accepted our impeachment complaint. So there is a precedent in the House.)

'President's shield'

In a statement, Davao City Representative Paolo Duterte said the refusal of the House to accept the impeachment complaint since Garafil was out of the country was "a blatant insult to the Constitution and to the Filipino people."

"Kung gusto tanggapin ang reklamo, tatanggapin. Kung ayaw, maghahanap ng palusot—and that’s exactly what is happening here," Duterte said.

(If they want to accept the complaint, they will accept it. If they don't, they will look for an excuse—and that's exactly what is happening here.)

"Ang malinaw, ayaw talaga nilang tanggapin ang impeachment complaint dahil ito ay solid, well-documented, at backed by strong evidence."

(What is clear is that they really don't want to accept the impeachment complaint because it is solid, well-documented, and backed by strong evidence.)

Duterte added that "the House leadership is choosing to act as the President’s shield instead of performing its constitutional duty."

Defensor said the group is studying whether to refile the complaint on Monday, January 26, when Congress resumes session.

Defensor also criticized the first impeachment complaint against the president filed by Atty. Andres de Jesus, which was already transmitted to the Office of the Speaker.

"The de Jesus impeachment complaint is a scam. It does not only involve the Secretary General's office. it involves the leadership of the House and the President himself," he said.

GMA Integrated News has asked Garafil and House Speaker Faustino Dy III for comments, but they have yet to reply.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro, in a statement, said, "Mike Defensor should substantiate his accusation against Atty. De Jesus. Anyway, Atty. de Jesus already admitted that he worked as counsel for the PDP Laban Duterte faction. We have nothing to do with their bickering."

'Strict compliance'

In a separate statement, Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong defended the decision of Garafil's office not to receive the complaints.

"The receipt of an impeachment complaint is not a casual or clerical transaction," he said.

"It is a formal constitutional act that must be strictly comply with the House Rules. It cannot be improvised, delegated casually, or reduced to a mere drop-off," he added.

Adiong said accepting the impeachment complaint without the Secretary General "would expose the House to procedural challenges and claims of irregularity."

"That would be a far more serious breach of duty," he said.—LDF/VBL, GMA Integrated News