Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

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/1758784988603cropped-90050012_104787457827215_5341269772241731584_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Photo from Rep. Zaldy Co&#x27;s Facebook page</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA<strong> (UPDATE) </strong>— At least 2 senators on Thursday flagged the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) over what they characterized as &quot;instant&quot; release of unprogrammed funds for projects allegedly proposed by Rep. Zaldy Co.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/19/what-are-unprogrammed-funds-gatchalian-says-they-are-pork-barrel-1225">What are &#x27;unprogrammed&#x27; funds? Gatchalian says they are &#x27;pork barrel&#x27;</a></div><p>During the 6th hearing of the Blue Ribbon Committee into the flood control mess, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian zeroed in on the DBM&#x27;s policy in releasing unprogrammed funds.</p><p>Unprogrammed appropriations are not itemized in the national budget and are proposed by government agencies.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/25/ex-dpwh-exec-roberto-bernardo-admits-wrongdoing-in-flood-control-fiasco-0916">Ex-DPWH exec Roberto Bernardo tags Escudero, Co, Revilla, Binay in kickbacks</a></div><p>&quot;Ang nangyayari po dyan, magsa-submit po ang agency, in this particular case, the DPWH, for a special [budget] request,&quot; DBM Assistant Secretary Rolando Toledo said.</p><div><br/></div><div><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/XKNVP-gcn78?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>Toledo said that part of the requirements in approving the request for unprogrammed funds is the &quot;shovel readiness&quot; of the project.</p><p>&quot;Kailangan po ma-justify nila that the program or project that&#x27;s being requested is ready for implementation,&quot; he said.</p><p>But Gatchalian questioned why the DBM approved several request for unprogrammed funds for flood control projects, which turned out to be ghost or substandard projects.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/18/lacson-alleged-estrada-insertions-seen-in-2025-budget-none-for-villanueva-1347">Lacson: Alleged Estrada insertions seen in 2025 GAA; Villanueva&#x27;s in 2023 unprogrammed funds</a></div><p>&quot;Because narinig ko rin kay Secretary Vince Dizon last time, na in all of his, almost all, na mga flood control projects, walang plano... Nakita nyo ba itong mga sina-submit sa inyo ng DPWH? Nakita nyo mismo may plano, may feasibility study, and kumpleto lahat yun?&quot; Gatchalian asked.</p><p>Toledo said they assume regularity on the part of DPWH that the projects they submit are ready for implementation. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ZALDY CO &#x27;INFLUENTIAL&#x27; AT DBM?</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Gatchalian said based on his office&#x27;s research, Sunwest Corporation, which is being linked to Zaldy Co, got around P4 billion worth of its projects from unprogrammed appropriation. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/25/suitcases-of-money-delivered-to-romualdez-zaldy-co-houses-staff-1118">Suitcases of money delivered to Romualdez, Zaldy Co houses: staff</a></div><p>&quot;From 2022 to 2025, P34 billion na ho ang na-release to SunWest Corporation... In 2023, P1 billion nasa unprogrammed appropriation. In 2024, 3.2 billion nasa unprogrammed appropriation,&quot; the senator said.</p><p>&quot;Ang punto ho dito, P4 billion na award po sa SunWest Corporation, galing sa unprogrammed appropriation. Which is not easy because mayroong guidelines ang DBM na dapat shovel ready,&quot; Gatchalian noted. </p><p>He added that Hi Tone, another firm connected to the Co family, got almost P6 billion in unprogrammed appropriations. </p><p>Sen. Ronald &quot;Bato&quot; dela Rosa was also puzzled as to how Co was supposedly able to &quot;influence&quot; DBM in releasing unprogrammed funds.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/25/sham-flood-control-projects-placed-in-other-districts-upon-zaldy-co-s-order-alcantara-1108">Sham flood control projects placed in other districts upon Zaldy Co’s order: Alcantara</a></div><p>&quot;Ang tanong bakit napakabilis ninyong makapag-release ng SARO (Special Allotment Release Order) galing sa unprogrammed funds? Anong influence meron si Zaldy Co sa DBM na kapag sya ang naglagak sa Bulacan, ang bilis nyo issuehan ng SARO,&quot; Dela Rosa said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/25/ex-dpwh-usec-implicates-ex-senators-revilla-binay-in-kickback-scheme-0954">DepEd exec tagged in DPWH kickback scheme; official denies accusation</a></div><p>Dela Rosa was referring to former Bulacan 1st District Engineer Henry Alcantara&#x27;s admission that Co was orchestrating the kickback scheme through his district all the way to the DPWH. </p><p>&quot;Imposible na magawa ito lahat ni Zaldy Co na walang connivance ng DBM, I don&#x27;t think so,&quot; the senator added.</p><p>Toledo in response said he had no idea if Co had any influence in the DBM.</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/vyOYDIO3VH0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></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/82XWHcLmF1I?&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/xLeM2pbienc?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa was puzzled as to how Zaldy Co was supposedly able to "influence" DBM in releasing unprogrammed funds.</p>

Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa was puzzled as to how Zaldy Co was supposedly able to "influence" DBM in releasing unprogrammed funds.

Senators call out DBM's 'instant' release of funds for alleged Zaldy Co insertions

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Senators call out DBM's 'instant' release of funds for alleged Zaldy Co insertions

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 25, 2025 03:31 PM PHT

|

Updated Sep 25, 2025 04:20 PM PHT

Read More:

Zaldy Co

unprogrammed funds

flood control

DBM

DPWH

politics

kickbacks

crime

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