Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Jamaine Punzalan

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F840700541689734%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>MANILA<strong> (2nd UPDATE) </strong>— Former congressman Elizaldy Co on Friday claimed that he received instructions to insert P100 billion worth of projects in the 2025 national budget from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. through Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/14/first-5-flood-control-cases-cover-only-dpwh-bulacan-officials-fadullon-1139">First five flood control cases cover only DPWH Bulacan officials: Fadullon</a></div><p>Co claimed that at the start of the bicameral process in 2024, Pangandaman called him to relay the President’s supposed instructions on the budget insertion. </p><p>Co, the former chairperson of the House of Representatives appropriations committee, said he verified the supposed instructions with Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin.</p><p>“Right after our conversation, tinawagan ko po si Dating Speaker Martin Romualdez, at nireport ko ang instructions ng Presidente to insert the P100 billion projects, at sinabi niya sa akin ‘What the President wants, he gets,’” he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/14/romualdez-other-lawmakers-no-show-in-senate-flood-control-hearing-cites-ici-probe-1008">Romualdez, other lawmakers skip Senate flood control hearing, cite ICI probe</a></div><p>Days later, Co said Pangandaman scheduled a meeting with him, Romualdez, and two undersecretaries at the Aguado Building inside the Malacanang compound, where the list of projects worth P100 billion was provided.</p><p>Documents sent to the media by Co’s office show that of the alleged P100 billion worth of projects inserted in the 2025 budget, over P81 billion were under the Department of Public Works and Highways, while more than P18.7 billion were under the Office of the President, the Philippine Coconut Authority, the National Electrification Administration, the National Housing Authority, and the Department of Information and Communications Technology.</p><p>Co claimed that he later asked if it was possible to insert only P50 billion in the programmed funds and place the other P50 billion in unprogrammed appropriations to avoid violating the constitutional mandate for the education sector to receive the largest budget allocation. But he said it was rejected by Pangandaman. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/25/senators-call-out-dbm-s-instant-release-of-funds-for-alleged-zaldy-co-insertions-1531">Senators call out DBM&#x27;s &#x27;instant&#x27; release of funds for alleged Zaldy Co insertions</a></div><p>“Pagkatapos ng isang araw tinawagan ako Sec. Mina at sinabi ang mensahe ng Pangulo, ipasok ninyo ‘yan dahil ipinangako na sa akin ng Speaker Martin ‘yan, at hindi na pwedeng baguhin. Kumbaga ang utos ng hari, hindi pwedeng mabali. Again, I informed the Speaker and asked clearance about the instructions ng Pangulo, at ang sabi niya, ‘Wala tayong magagawa,’” he said.</p><p>“Kaya po nagtataka ako kung bakit sinasabi ni Pangulo na hindi niya makilala ang budget, samantalang lahat na ibinawas at idinagdag sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno ay humihingi ng approval sa kanya si Sec. Mina Pangandaman,” Co said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;STAY OUT OF PH&#x27;</strong></div><p>Co said that he left the country for a medical checkup in July and had planned to go home after Marcos’ State of the Nation Address.</p><p>But Co said Romualdez supposedly told him in a phone call, “Stay out of the country. You will be well taken care of as instructed by the President.”</p><p>“Noon naniniwala pa ako sa kanila, kaya hindi ako bumalik. Tumikom ang aking bibig, sumunod ako. Pero ang hindi ko alam, ang ibig pala nilang sabihin sa aalagaan ka namin ay gagamitin ako bilang panakip-butas sa kanilang kampanya laban sa korapsyon. Ginawa nila kung poster boy ng kanilang sariling kasinungalingan,” he said.</p><p>“Ngayon, hindi na ako mananahimik, ilalabas ko ang lahat ng katotohanan. May resibo, may ebidensya, at may pangalan.” </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>FEAR FOR LIFE</strong></div><p>In the same video release, Co expressed fear for his own life.</p><p>“Sana po ay hindi nila ako mapatay bago ko mailabas ang lahat,” he said.</p><p>Co insisted that he only followed orders regarding the alleged budget insertions.</p><p>“Ginawa ko lang ang utos sa akin pero ngayon handa na akong harapin ang laha... Ginagamit ng administrasyon ang buong resources ng bansa para tumahimik ako,” Co claimed.</p><p>Co resigned as congressman last September and has yet to return to the country after being accused of “masterminding” billions of pesos in flood control and other infra budget insertions in the 2025 budget.<strong></strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>REACTIONS</strong></div><p>Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said the public should be careful in considering the allegations of Co.</p><p>“I don&#x27;t even know kung siya ba yun o may nagsasabi artificial intelligence. So we need to really validate,” Gatchalian said during the break of the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the flood control anomaly on Friday.</p><p>Gatchalian added that it is important to validate since there are those who will use Co’s statement for their own interest.</p><p>Asked if the allegation will have an effect on the President, Gatchalian said, “Mahirap mag-comment ngayon. I have to look at the video, I have to decipher the video, but definitely seryoso yung kanyang mga sinasabi pero hindi rin natin matiyak kung totoo yung kanyang sinasabi.” </p><p>Gatchalian emphasized the need for Co to be physically present in the country to answer the allegations against him. He is not in favor of having Co testify via zoom because he believes it is easy to lie through this.</p><p>As to the new claims of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo stated in the hearing, Gatchalian said these, too, have weight but should be backed by evidence.</p><p>Gatchalian said he will study if there is a need to hold another Blue Ribbon hearing. If there is, they will ask the committee to subpoena Co to force him to attend.</p><p>Meanwhile, Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Rep. Leila de Lima urged Co to return to the Philippines and answer the allegations here.</p><p>&quot;We urge former Rep. Zaldy Co to return to the country and fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation into the anomalous flood control and other infrastructure projects. He should take an oath and tell the whole truth before the proper forum,&quot; she said.</p><p>The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) later said it was studying the revelations made by Co and Bernardo.</p><p>“The commission is still carefully reviewing and studying what was divulged during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee as well as in the alleged video of former Cong. Zaldy Co, before weighing in on any action or statement,” ICI Executive Director Brian Keith Hosaka told reporters.</p><p>ABS-CBN News is seeking comment from the officials tagged by Co. <strong>—With reports from Victoria Tulad and Johnson Manabat, ABS-CBN News</strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dG3udyH5LD4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g6XzA0zAmVs?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div><div><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div>

<p>Former congressman Elizaldy Co on Friday broke his silence on the flood control scandal. </p>

Former congressman Elizaldy Co on Friday broke his silence on the flood control scandal.

Zaldy Co breaks silence on flood control mess

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Zaldy Co breaks silence on flood control mess

Jamaine Punzalan,

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 14, 2025 12:14 PM PHT

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Updated Nov 14, 2025 07:19 PM PHT

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Zaldy Co

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