Ched Rick Gatchalian

Ellis Co (left) and his father Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co (right). Photos from Metro Style, Press and Public Affairs Bureau handout/File

Article (news)

​Zaldy Co's son urges him to come home: 'I am speaking out against my father'

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758721971214photo-collage.png (6).png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Ellis Co (left) and his father Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co (right). <em>Photos from Metro Style, Press and Public Affairs Bureau handout/File</em></span></span></span>MANILA  — Ellis Co, son of Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, urged his father to come forward and address the allegations against him.</div><p>Social media users have earlier criticized the children of wealthy politicians, Ellis included, as they called out so-called &quot;nepo-babies&quot; who flaunt their wealth online.</p><p>His father now faces mounting calls to return to the Philippines to explain alleged budget insertions and his involvement in the flood control scandal.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/6/zaldy-co-should-clarify-ties-to-sunwest-alleged-budget-insertions-lawmaker-1218">Zaldy Co should clarify ties to SunWest, alleged budget insertions: lawmaker</a></div><div><strong><br/></strong></div><div><strong>READY TO BE DISOWNED</strong></div><p>In a lengthy<a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DO--STIkoGc/?igsh=MXAzN2U2Y3Zmd2ZsaA=="> statement </a>on Instagram, Ellis said he has always tried to separate himself from the influence of his last name.</p><p>&quot;Though I bear my last name, I&#x27;ve always tried to separate myself from that affiliation. It can&#x27;t be denied that I was born into privilege. Despite this, I&#x27;ve always strived to give back, especially to the community and the industry I&#x27;ve long admired,&quot; he wrote, adding that he moved out of his parents’ home and has been earning his own money since he was 16.</p><p>Ellis said he shares the public’s call against corruption.</p><p>Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara told the Senate that Co proposed a total of P35 billion in insertions over four years, since 2022, to fund some 426 projects.</p><p>Co is also reportedly still connected with Sunwest Inc., the conglomerate he founded, which has secured billions in government contracts for flood control infrastructure.</p><p>Co has said the accusations against him are <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/23/zaldy-co-says-p35-b-insertion-kickback-allegations-against-him-false-baseless-1710">“false and baseless,&quot;</a> adding that he reserves his right to respond before the proper forum.</p><p>Ellis said he is &quot;deeply ashamed&quot; over the issue, urging his father to face the allegations and &quot;be accountable once and for all.&quot;</p><p>&quot;I am not just speaking against a politician. I am speaking out against my father. And if this decision gets me disowned, I would rather face that consequence than watch millions of people suffer from his actions,&quot; he said.</p><p>He stressed that his relationship with his family has grown cold since his father entered politics.</p><p>&quot;Before my dad entered politics, he was a businessman who provided a better life for my family,&quot; he explained. &quot;Our relationship has since become very distant when he entered politics, which has affected my connection not just with him, but with my family as well.&quot;</p><p>Ellis said he is speaking out now after fully understanding the situation.</p><p>&quot;For the past few weeks, I&#x27;ve been struggling with an internal conflict between my morals and my family,&quot; he stated.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;SPARE THE CREATIVES&#x27;</strong></div><p>Ellis&#x27; fashion line, .ARCHIVES, also drew the ire of his father&#x27;s critics, with some joking that taxpayer money helped establish it.</p><p>But Ellis stressed that he built the brand through clothing projects for various clients, while his mother would sometimes invest in their fashion shows, which he said the brand would repay.</p><p>&quot;The financial goal of the business was to break even, with the majority of revenue being used to provide grants to small local designers, support creatives and pay them their proper rates as much as possible, and create projects that build bridges to other countries, allowing Filipino talent to be seen and recognized. But looking back, I wish I could&#x27;ve done things differently,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;I wish I had discerned the situation better.&quot;</p><p>Ellis said the brand represents his choice to &quot;pursue his own path&quot; since he &quot;cannot change the family he was born into.&quot;</p><p>He explained that .ARCHIVES involves a team of 15 tailors, 10 staff members, and 3 designers.</p><p>Ellis decried hate and threatening comments directed at the people working for and with his brand.</p><p>&quot;It is saddening to see that this issue has spiraled out of control and has become an avenue to target the people who have done nothing but support me and my brand. This has nothing to do with them, and they do not deserve the disrespect being thrown their way.&quot;</p><p>While acknowledging public criticism of his family, he also called on critics to spare the designers and artists working with his brand, noting that they are unfairly subjected to hateful comments and false narratives that do not &quot;reflect their values.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;ANSWER TO THE PEOPLE&#x27;</strong></div><p>He ended his statement by calling on his father to face local courts.</p><p><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/4/rep-zaldy-co-in-us-house-spox-1345">Co is reportedly in the U.S. for treatment,</a> but new House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III has already revoked his travel clearance and asked him to come home within 10 days.</p><p>A <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/9/24/ayala-leads-ph-firms-in-time-and-statista-s-world-s-best-companies-2025-1732">freeze order </a>has also been slapped on Co&#x27;s assets, the Department of Justice earlier announced.</p><p>&quot;To my father: come home and answer to the people. Have your time in court. People need answers,&quot; Ellis said.</p><div><a class="fr-strong fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/22/house-leaders-to-discuss-next-move-if-zaldy-co-fails-to-come-home-1451">House leaders to discuss next move if Zaldy Co fails to come home</a></div><p>He added that those who were &quot;unfairly imprisoned&quot; should be freed, and justice must be sought for those whose lives are endangered.</p>

<p>"I am not just speaking against a politician. I am speaking out against my father. And if this decision gets me disowned, I would rather face that consequence than watch millions of people suffer from his actions," Ellis Co, son of Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, said Wednesday.</p>

"I am not just speaking against a politician. I am speaking out against my father. And if this decision gets me disowned, I would rather face that consequence than watch millions of people suffer from his actions," Ellis Co, son of Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, said Wednesday.

​Zaldy Co's son urges him to come home, face allegations: 'I am speaking out against my father'

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​Zaldy Co's son urges him to come home, face allegations: 'I am speaking out against my father'

Ched Rick Gatchalian,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 24, 2025 11:19 PM PHT

Read More:

Ellis Co

Zaldy Co

Flood control

Ako Bicol Party-list

Corruption

Budget insertions

Sunwest

House of Representatives

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Zaldy Co's son urges him to come home, face allegations: 'I am speaking out against my father'

Zaldy Co's son urges him to come home, face allegations: 'I am speaking out against my father'