HOUSE REMOVES CO AS APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR

THE House of Representatives on Monday removed Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co as chairman of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations.

Senior Deputy Majority Leader and presidential son Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos made the motion to declare the position vacant during the plenary session.

“Mr. Speaker, I move to declare vacant the position of chairperson of the Committee on Appropriations,” said Marcos, Ilocos Norte’s 1st district representative.

The motion was carried without objection. No replacement was immediately named.

As of this posting, there was no official explanation for Co’s removal to the position.

After more than an hour that the move was made in open session on Monday, Co released a statement claiming it was his decision to step down from the post due to “health concerns.”

“The highly demanding nature of my role has taken its toll, and I now need to prioritize seeking the medical attention necessary for my well-being,” Co said. 

“I have always served at the pleasure of the majority. I am deeply honored to have been entrusted with the immense responsibility of steering the nation’s budget in service of the House of the people and the constituents we represent,” he added. 

The House Committee on Appropriations plays a central role in the preparation and review of the national budget through the conduct of hearings on the budgets of various departments and government agencies.

President Ferdinand E. Marcos Jr. signed into law the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) General Appropriations Act on Dec. 31, 2024 after vetoing P194 billion in line items he deemed inconsistent with his administration’s priorities.

The original budget was set at P6.352 trillion, but the vetoes reduced it to P6.326 trillion.

Co, a second-term lawmaker, is a business magnate in the Bicol region.