Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

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/1763451093465cropped-photo-collage.png (2).png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan was part of the bicam for the 2025 national budget. Vivienne Gulla and Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan said on Tuesday that he has “no knowledge” of the P100 billion worth of projects allegedly inserted in the 2025 national budget during the bicameral conference committee level, as claimed by former House Committee on Appropriations chairperson Zaldy Co.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/17/-most-guilty-not-credible-house-party-leaders-slam-zaldy-co-1725">‘Most guilty, not credible’: House party leaders slam Zaldy Co</a></div><p>Libanan was part of the bicam for the 2025 national budget, but he claimed Co and his Senate counterpart were designated to reconcile the conflicting provisions in the proposed 2025 General Appropriations Act.</p><p>“Hindi po natin alam ‘yan… Kung titingnan natin, ang usual na nangyayari at ‘yun ang nangyari, ay nag-open ‘yung bicam, tapos dinesignate ‘yung chairman ng Committee on Appropriations, si Zaldy Co, sa House at saka ‘yung chairperson ng (Senate) Committee on Finance to reconcile the conflicting provisions of both Houses,&quot; Libanan said in an interview with reporters. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1635962687814511%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="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/17/release-of-zaldy-co-s-saln-under-study-puno-1847">Release of Zaldy Co’s SALN under study — Puno</a></div><p>&quot;‘Pag inassure nila na reconciled na, binigyan kami ng summary ng conflicting provisions. At ‘yun po ay aaprubahan na. Hindi po kami kasali doon sa mga insertion. Wala kaming kaalam-alam doon, ako, personally,” he added. </p><p>Co, in a previous video statement, claimed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., through Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, ordered him to make the budget insertions during the bicam. </p><p>Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez supposedly greenlit its implementation. </p><p>Co had claimed that both Marcos and Romualdez benefitted from the alleged insertions.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;NOT HIS CHARACTER&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The former House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson further alleged that Romualdez had threatened to “shoot” him to keep him if he will talk.</p><p>Libanan expressed doubts on this claim, saying it is not in Romualdez’s character to make death threats.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/18/lawmakers-urge-ex-colleague-zaldy-co-to-return-to-ph-answer-questions-0930">Lawmakers urge ex-colleague Zaldy Co to return to PH, answer questions</a></div><p>“Baka nagja-justify siya na hindi siya umuwi dito, pero unfair naman ‘yun kay former Speaker Martin,” he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/16/zaldy-co-fears-for-life-ex-speaker-romualdez-will-shoot-me-if-i-talk-1657">Zaldy Co fears for life: Ex-Speaker Romualdez ‘will shoot me if I talk’</a></div><p>“Nakita ko siya, very friendly, ang bait. Sa tingin ko po ay wala sa character niya na mag-threaten na papatay. May time naman na ‘pag gusto niya ng kaayusan sa Kongreso, nagsasalita siya, pero not to the extent na magiging violent siya. Kaya medyo hindi ako makapaniwala na sasabihin ni Speaker Martin ‘yung threat niya kay Cong. Zaldy Co,” Libanan added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></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/le1Zj2jPNbQ?&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/-fJESsuKO-A?&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/dG3udyH5LD4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan was part of the bicam for the 2025 national budget.</p>

House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan was part of the bicam for the 2025 national budget.

Ex-bicam member on alleged P100B insertion in 2025: 'Di po natin alam ‘yan'

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Ex-bicam member on alleged P100B insertion in 2025: 'Di po natin alam ‘yan'

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 18, 2025 03:16 PM PHT

|

Updated Nov 18, 2025 03:35 PM PHT

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House of Representatives

Zaldy Co

flood control

corruption

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