Pres. Marcos Jr. Speaks on Zaldy Co Anew Following Posts vs. Son Sandro
MARCOS JR. – The President claimed that the lawyer of Zaldy Co allegedly reached out to him and supposedly tried to blackmail him.
Resigned Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Zaldy Co refused to return to the Philippines amid the massive corruption accusations hurled against him. Instead of returning to the country, he stepped down as a member of the House.
Co was accused by contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya of allegedly receiving flood control kickbacks. Some officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) also accused him of corruption. His former staff, Orly Guteza, also claimed that he was allegedly part of the team that delivered suitcases filled with millions of money to Co and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Recently, amid the calls for him to return to the country and face the allegations against him, Zaldy Co accused Marcos Jr. of allegedly ordering a P100-billion budget insertion in the 2025 national funds. He also claimed that he supposedly confirmed the order with then-Speaker Martin Romualdez, then-Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, and then-Budget Sec. Amenah Pangandaman.
According to Co, he was allegedly told by Romualdez not to return to the country as supposedly instructed by Marcos Jr. He claimed that he expected to be taken cared of as he was allegedly promised but he did not expect to be the “poster boy” in the administration’s campaign against corruption.
Co further claimed that former Speaker Martin Romualdez allegedly threatened him not to return to the Philippines. According to him, the former Speaker and the President allegedly got a P56-billion kickback all for themselves.
Recently, Zaldy Co also tagged presidential son and Ilocos Norte Congressman Sandro Marcos in the budget insertion mess. On social media, he posted the alleged budget insertions of the Congressman that amounts to over P50 billion in just three (3) years.
Recently, following the allegations against his son, Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. claimed that the camp of Zaldy Co allegedly reached out to him and attempted to blackmail him. In a video posted on social media, the lawyer of Co supposedly told him not to cancel the former House member’s passport and he will stop releasing videos.
”Lastly, meron po akong ibabanggit sa inyo. Nilapitan po kami ng abogado ni Zaldy Co at nagtatangkang mag-blackmail na kung hindi po namin kakanselahin daw ang passport niya, hindi na raw siya maglalabas ng video,” the President claimed.
Marcos Jr. further stressed that he does not negotiate with law offenders. Through the video, he gave a message for Zaldy Co.
”I do not negotiate with criminals. Kahit maglabas ka na ng video ng lahat ng kasinungalingan mo na pag-destabilize sa gobyerno. Gusto kong malaman mo Zaldy makakansela pa rin ang passport mo. Hindi ka na makakatakas sa hustisya,” he expressed.
Following his name being dragged in the budget insertion mess, Cong. Sandro Marcos immediately issued a statement wherein he claimed that Zaldy Co allegedly inked a deal with those who will benefit from the change in administration as per an intel.