ACCUSATIONS AGAINST PBBM COMPLETE LIES – PALACE

MALACAÑANG disproved as complete lies the claims made by beleaguered ex-Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, one of the main personalities implicated in the flood control and infrastructure corruption scandal.

The Palace emphasized that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. himself initiated the investigation into the corruption that has resulted in the filing of criminal cases, issuance of asset freeze orders and implementation of reforms in the Department of Public Works and Highways.

“These wild accusations are completely without basis in fact. All the charges leveled against the President are pure hearsay,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Dave Gomez said in a news conference on Friday.

“Let us not forget, President Marcos Jr. himself exposed all these flood control anomalies and has taken numerous steps since to ensure that the guilty are brought to justice, the stolen wealth recovered, and the system is fixed to avoid any of this from happening again,” Gomez added.

Gomez challenged Co to return to the country to face investigation, and to make his statements under oath before the proper judicial authorities for legal accountability.

In the same news conference, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amehan Pangandaman disputed Co’s claim about the President’s supposed instructions for “insertions” in the 2025 national budget during the bicameral conference committee.

Pangandaman pointed out that the President had no more hand in the budget process after Malacañang had submitted the National Expenditure Program to the Senate and the House of Representatives. The two Congress chambers deliberate separately then convene the bicameral conference committee before returning the reconciled budget to Malacañang for approval.

“All appropriations ordered by the President are already in the National Expenditure Program. That is why it is called the President’s budget. So we reject any insinuations about it,” Pangandaman said.

“The bicam is purely under the power of the legislature. We respect and strictly follow the budget process and all our actions are above board,” the DBM chief stressed.

Pangandaman explained the Office of the President and the Executive Branch complied with the directives of the Constitution to craft the National Expenditure Program, submit this to Congress 30 days after the State of the Nation Address, and to explain the proposed budget in public briefings.

“Pagkatapos po nun, magde-deliberate na po sila. Wala na pong role ang Office of the President, ang Executive sa bicam,” Pangandaman pointed out.

PCO Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Co was merely diverting blame after he was implicated for pocketing huge kickbacks based on evidence and his questionable lavish lifestyle.

“Dahil lumiliit na ang mundo ni Zaldy Co, kailangan niyang iiwas ang sarili at mag name-drop kahit walang katibayan at laway lang ang puhunan. Para masagip ang sarili sa paratang ng pagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan at mapalitaw na siya ang biktima, siya ay magtatahi ng maling kwento laban sa ibang tao,” Castro said.

The Palace Press Officer reiterated that President Marcos himself called attention to corruption in flood control projects during the July 28 Fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) and created the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to pursue the investigation.

“Bakit niya pasisimulan ang malalimang pag-iimbestiga, mag-establish ng ICI to investigate the anomalous flood control projects and other infrastructure kung ang Pangulo ay may kinalaman rito. Logic. Hindi ba dapat na iiwasan niya ang issue na ito kung siya mismo ay mapapaso,” Castro said.

“Malinaw ang mga pangyayari: papalapit na tayo sa katotohanan kaya’t pinipilit ilihis upang makaiwas ang mga tunay na may sala sa katarungan,” Castro added.

In a video sent to reporters on Friday, embattled former lawmaker Elizaldy Co admitted to inserting around P100 billion in the bicam, claiming it was done under President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s orders. 

Co accused the administration of exhausting all resources to use him as a scapegoat in its anti-corruption campaign and that if he started talking, he would likely get shot.

He said Romualdez told him to stay out of the country and “he will be well taken care of as instructed by the president.”

Co said he believed Romualdez at first, which is why he kept quiet and obeyed. What he didn’t know, he said, was that to be “taken care of” meant to be used as a fall guy instead.

“Ginawa nila akong poster boy ng kanilang sariling kasinungalingan. Ngayon hindi na ako mananahimik. Ilalabas ko ang lahat ng katotohanan — may resibo, may ebidensya at may pangalan,” Co said.