Malacañang on Friday dismissed as “pure hearsay” the allegation by former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. had personally directed the insertion of at least PHP100 billion worth of projects into the PHP6.352-trillion national budget for 2025.
“These wild accusations are completely without basis in fact. All the charges leveled against the President are pure hearsay,” Presidential Communications Office acting Secretary Dave Gomez said in a Palace press briefing.
Contrary to Co’s claim, Marcos was the one who exposed the anomalous flood control projects and has taken decisive steps to gather evidence against the government officials and contractors involved in the controversy, Gomez said.
“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 prevent such occurrences in the future,” he said.
Gomez also urged Co to return home and shed light on the issue “under oath with the proper judicial authorities.”
No role
In a video message uploaded on Facebook, Co claimed that Marcos, through Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, had instructed him and former House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez to include the budget items under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Co said the PHP100 billion insertion in the DPWH budget was reduced to PHP50 billion as the education sector traditionally receives the largest share of the budget.
Pangandaman, who joined the press briefing, denied Co’s allegation, saying all appropriations ordered by Marcos are already reflected in the National Expenditure Program (NEP), otherwise known as the President’s budget.
She added that the executive branch, particularly the Office of the President, no longer has any role in the budget deliberations by the bicameral conference committee once the NEP is transmitted to Congress.
“So, we reject any insinuations about it. 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,” Pangandaman said.
Attempt to save himself
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro lamented that Co is trying to save himself from the flood control mess at the expense of others, stressing that Marcos would have included the alleged budget items in the NEP if he had orchestrated the insertions.
Castro said Co’s testimony merely generated more questions instead of addressing his role in the controversy.
“Dahil lumiliit na ang mundo ni Zaldy Co, kailangan niyang umiwas at iiwas ang sarili at mag-name drop kahit walang katibayan at laway lang ang puhunan (Because Zaldy Co’s world is getting smaller, he needs to evade and distance himself, resorting to name-dropping even without proof, relying only on baseless accusations),” she said.
“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. Magtuturo ng iba pwera ang sarili niya kahit na ang ari-arian niya at ng kanyang pamilya ay nagsusumigaw ng ebidensya laban sa kanya (To save himself from allegations of stealing from the public coffers and to portray himself as the victim, he fabricates false stories against other people. He points fingers at others except himself, even though his and his family’s properties are glaring evidence against him).”
Castro also cautioned the public against more lies that Co might propagate in the coming days.
No attempt to silence Co
Co, who allegedly received kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects, also accused the Marcos administration of using its resources to silence him.
He lamented that he is being used as a scapegoat by the government to avoid accountability.
Castro challenged Co to prove the alleged threat to his life.
Castro, who is also a lawyer, advised Co to just return to the Philippines and face the complaints or cases filed against him.
“Ang imbestigasyon na sinimulan ng Pangulo ay unti-unti nang nagbubunga. Malinaw na ang mga pangyayari. Papalapit na papalapit tayo sa katotohanan kaya pinipilit ilihis upang makaiwas ang mga tunay na may sala sa katarungan (The investigation initiated by the President is gradually bearing fruit. The events are becoming clearer. We are getting closer and closer to the truth, which is why some are attempting to divert the issue to avoid bringing those truly guilty to justice),” she said. (PNA)
