Marilyn Cahatol

A screengrab from a video released by former Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Zaldy Co implicating President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in the insertion of P100-B worth of projects in the General Appropriations Act (GAA). (Courtesy of Zaldy Co)

Article (news)

Zaldy Co: Senate, Ombudsman should probe Romualdez and Marcos over alleged P100-B ‘insertion’

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176317967830819040101-ako-bicol-rep-zaldy-co-HO.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="A screengrab from a video released by former Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Zaldy Co implicating President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in the insertion of P100-B worth of projects in the General Appropriations Act (GAA). (Courtesy of Zaldy Co) "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A screengrab from a video released by former Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Zaldy Co implicating President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in the insertion of P100-B worth of projects in the General Appropriations Act (GAA). <em>(Courtesy of Zaldy Co) </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATED) </strong>— Former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co has called on the Senate and the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. over an <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/14/zaldy-co-breaks-silence-on-flood-control-mess-1214">alleged P100 billion “insertion”</a> in the 2025 national budget, saying he believes the truth will eventually come out.</p><p>In the second part of his video statement, Co asserted that <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/15/in-video-zaldy-co-says-he-didn-t-get-any-money-from-flood-control-projects-1212">he did not benefit from the supposed P100-billion allocation</a>, claiming further that his security personnel kept records of the “deliveries” of suitcases allegedly filled with money.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/29/-p50m-per-large-suitcase-ici-report-details-alleged-kickback-deliveries-to-zaldy-co-2156"><strong>‘P50M per large suitcase’: ICI details alleged kickback deliveries to Zaldy Co<br/></strong></a></div><p>Co said that after the approval of the 2025 General Appropriations Act, he inquired with the Department of Public Works and Highways about how much needed to be turned over to the Office of the President.</p><p>“Sinagot sa akin ay 25 percent (They said 25 percent),” he said.</p><p>He claimed that this meant that an &quot;SOP&quot; — Standard Operating Procedure, or kickback —  of 25 percent of P100 billion were to be turned over to Marcos Jr.</p><p>“In total, P25 billion ang napunta kay Pangulong Bongbong Marcos,” he added.</p><p>(In total, P25 billion went to President Bongbong Marcos)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/14/lacson-says-zaldy-co-s-corruption-claims-lack-weight-without-oath-1903"><strong>Lacson says Zaldy Co’s corruption claims lack weight without oath</strong></a></div><p>The Palace on Friday dismissed Co&#x27;s claims in an earlier video as &quot;pure hearsay&quot; and an attempt by the resigned congressman to save himself.</p><p>Marcos Jr. in October said he is sure his political opponents “<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/15/-gusto-nila-akong-tanggalin-marcos-jr-on-critics-linking-him-to-flood-control-mess-2153">would love to bring me into this — to include me in all of this</a>&quot; and oust him from the presidency. </p><p>He said, also, that &quot;that&#x27;s politics... that is not — that is not to do about corruption.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>CO CHALLENGES REMULLA</strong></div><p>Co also challenged Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to investigate Romualdez in relation to the flood control probe once he submits his evidence.</p><p>“Patunayan niya ngayon ang pronouncement niya. Imbestigahan niya ang fraternity brod at kanyang kaibigan na si Speaker Martin Romualdez kung talagang tutupad siya sa tungkulin niya,” he said.</p><p>(He should prove his pronouncement and investigate his fraternity brother and friend, Speaker Martin Romualdez and show he will do his duty)</p><p>Remull and Romualdez are members of UP fraternity Upsilon Sigma Phi.</p><p>“Imbestigahan din niya si President Bongbong Marcos,” he added.</p><p>(He should also investigate President Bongbong Marcos)</p><p>He further urged the Senate to launch its own probe into the alleged insertion, saying he doubts Remulla will act on it.</p><p>“Pero magaling ang Senado sa imbestigasyon. At ako ay naniniwala na dahil sa kanila, lalabas ang katotohanan,” he said.</p><p>(The Senate is good at investigation. I believe the truth will come out because of them.)</p><p>During a visit to the towns of Moises Padilla and La Castellana in Negros Occidental on Saturday, Marcos declined to comment on Co&#x27;s allegations.</p><p>&quot;If you want to talk about the storm, we&#x27;ll talk about that. I don&#x27;t even want to dignify what he said,&quot; said Marcos, who was checking on the situation in the province after the onslaught of Typhoon Tino. </p><p>In a separate statement, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Dave Gomez again urged Co to return to the Philippines.</p><p>&quot;What he is saying is a bunch of hearsay,&quot; said Gomez. &quot;&#x27;Sabi nito, sabi ni ano&#x27; … We continue to issue the same challenge. Come home, sign these under oath and face the music.&quot;</p><p>Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo &quot;Ping&quot; Lacson said the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that he chairs has been reviewing the list of projects that Co said had been instructed on Marcos Jr.&#x27;s instruction against the 2025 national budget.</p><p>&quot;With at least five pages already done so far, several items are confirmed to be existing,&quot; he said in a statement.</p><p>Lacson also noted that some of the supposed cash deliveries were allegedly done in 2024, before the 2025 General Appropriations Act was signed into law. He said this &quot;obviously contradicts [Co&#x27;s] narration about the insertions in the 2025 GAA.&quot;</p><p>Lacson also said that Co must have his allegations laid down in a signed and authenticated affidavit and testify before the committee or at a Philippine consular office.</p><p>&quot;Otherwise, as I have stated earlier, no matter how many Parts or Episodes his narrations are, they will all remain as such — narrations,&quot; he said. -- <strong>with a report from Barbara Mijares, ABS-CBN News</strong></p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/14/-pure-hearsay-malaca-ang-disputes-zaldy-co-s-accusations-vs-marcos-pangandaman-1731"><strong>‘Pure hearsay’: Malacañang disputes Zaldy Co’s accusations vs Marcos, Pangandaman</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WabCJ3srCVg?si=k1MGCsse-mDn-hOB" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co has called on the Senate and the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. over the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/14/zaldy-co-breaks-silence-on-flood-control-mess-1214">alleged P100 billion “insertion”</a> in the 2025 national budget.</p>

Former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co has called on the Senate and the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. over the alleged P100 billion “insertion” in the 2025 national budget.