ZALDY CO RESIGNS AS CONGRESSMAN AMID FLOOD CONTROL PROBE

AKO Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co on Monday resigned as  a member of the House of Representatives amid allegations of massive corruption in connection with flood control projects and insertions in the national budget.

Co was tagged as among the alleged masterminds in the kickback scheme in the flood control projects.

“Mabigat man sa aking puso, ako’y nagpapaabot ng aking pagbibitiw bilang Kinatawan sa Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso,” Co posted on his Facebook account.

“Sa loob ng aking panunungkulan, aking sinikap na maging kasurog ng bawat Pilipino, lalo na ng ating mga kababayan sa Bicol,” the post further read.

“Ang desisyong ito ay hindi naging madali, ngunit ito ay aking tinimbang nang mabuti para sa ikabubuti ng aking pamilya at ng mga taong patuloy kong pinaglilingkuran,” he added.

Co tendered his “irrevocable resignation” from the House of Representatives Monday, September 29,  the deadline set by House Speaker Faustino Dy III for him to return home and explain his side on the flood control budget mess.

According to Co, the resignation is in light of the “real, direct, grave and imminent threat” to him and his family members, as well as “the evident denial of his right to due process of law.”

He said the Ako Bicol Partylist will inform the Speaker’s office of the nominee who will replace him in the House.

Co categorically denied all the accusations hurled against him.

The stepping down of Co comes in the wake of the investigation by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) on flood control project anomalies and kickbacks.

Meanwhille, in a press conference also on Monday, Dy said he has received Co’s resignation letter.

The House leader said that with Co’s resignation, it will be up to the Department of Justice (DOJ)to act on whatever case Co will be facing, since the House Committee on Ethics has lost its jurisdiction over him upon his resignation.

“Since nagresign nga si Congressman Zaldy Co, wala nang ‘ika nga, karapatan ang Kongreso para maanyayahan siya at maimbitahan na umattend sa Committee on Ethics,” Dy explained.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICC) recommended the filing of charges against Co as well as other officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for alleged irregularities in the P289.5 million road dike project along the Mag-Asawang Tubig River in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon had previously tagged Co and Sunwest Inc. behind five of the seven substandard flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro.

Earlier, dismissed DPWH engineers Henry Alcantara and Brice Hernandez have told congressional inquiries about alleged kickbacks for Co from flood control projects.

Co has been absent since the start of the 20th Congress, and has been abroad supposedly to seek medical treatment.