Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

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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/17591332764461758784988603cropped-90050012_104787457827215_5341269772241731584_n.webp" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Photo from Zaldy Co&#x27;s Facebook page.</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA <strong>(3rd UPDATE) </strong>— Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co on Monday resigned from his position as a member of the House of Representatives weeks after he was tagged as among the alleged masterminds in the kickback scheme in the flood control projects.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" 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>&quot;Mabigat man sa aking puso, ako&#x27;y nagpaabot ng aking pagbibitiw bilang Kinatawan sa Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso,&quot; Co announced on Facebook.</p><p>&quot;Ang desisyong ito ay hindi naging madali, ngunit ito ay aking tinimbang nang mabuti para sa ikabubuti ng aking pamilya at ng mga taong patuloy kong pinaglilingkuran,&quot; he added.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" 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><div><br/></div><div><strong>LETTER TO SPEAKER</strong></div><p>In a letter sent to House Speaker Faustino Dy III, Co said he is &quot;constrained to tender with immediate effect my irrevocable resignation as a member of the House of Representatives.&quot;</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FabscbnNEWS%2Fposts%2Fpfbid07ZugqYsXRusNAsgCLniVC7N5JFi8t4JKx7cmtcfH8BYv1io7TQ1Si1bUUdmPMPH7l&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="709" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>This is in light of &quot;the real, direct, grave and imminent threat&quot; to him and his family members, as well as &quot;the evident denial of my right to due process of law.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" 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>In the letter, Co also denied allegations made by Navotas Lone District Rep. Toby Tiangco in his ethics complaint against the resigned congressman. </p><p>According to Co, he did not deliberately allow last-minute insertions in the 2025 budget, and rejected allegations that he and his family indulge in extravagant display of wealth in the eye of the public.</p><p>&quot;My wife and children keep away from the media and they certainly do not display what we own to the public. While I do have postings through media, these are focused on the various projects of the Ako Bicol Partylist. My family and I do not also live beyond our means,&quot; Co said in the letter.</p><p>He added that he will reserve his right to address the accusations at the proper time before the appropriate forum.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>HOUSE TO DELIBERATE ON CO’S RESIGNATION</strong></div><p>In a press conference, Dy said he has received Co’s letter, and the House leadership would decide on what to do following Co’s resignation.</p><p>&quot;Pag-uusapan pa ng House leadership kung ano ang magiging pasya tungkol dito sa development sa pagre-resign ni Congressman Zaldy Co,&quot; Dy said.</p><p>He also said it will be up to the Department of Justice to act on whatever case Co will be facing, since the House Committee on Ethics has lost its jurisdiction over him upon his resignation.</p><p>“Since nagresign nga si Congressman Zaldy Co, wala nang ‘ika nga, karapatan ang Kongreso para maanyayahan siya at maimbitahan na umattend sa committee ng ethics,” Dy added.</p><p>On whether Co’s resignation can be considered as an evasion of accountability, Rep. JC Abalos said Co is not exempt from accountability since other people can still file charges against him.</p><p>“Yung evasion of accountability, wala naman yan kung miyembro ka ng House o hindi... In any case, anyone can still file a civil or criminal case against any member or any former member of the House of Representatives kaya kahit na nag-resign si former congressman Zaldy Co, that doesn&#x27;t exempt him from accountability,&quot; he said.</p><p>Meanwhile, Tiangco said Co&#x27;s resignation is &quot;not enough,&quot; as this does not equate to accountability.</p><p>&quot;By resigning and hiding abroad instead of answering the allegations, he is not just insulting our institutions, he is insulting the Filipino people. At kung hindi niya haharapin ang mga alegasyon, this can be interpreted as a tacit admission of guilt,&quot; Tiangco said in a statement.</p><p>Prior to the resignation, Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña called for Co to return to the Philippines to face accusations made against him.</p><p>Earlier on Monday, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure recommended the filing of charges against Co as well as other officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for alleged irregularities in a P290-M flood control projects in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/29/ici-recommends-filing-of-cases-against-zaldy-co-over-mindoro-flood-control-project-1411">READ: ICI recommends raps vs Co, other DPWH officials amid &#x27;irregularities&#x27; in P290-M Mindoro project</a></div><p>DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon had previously tagged Co and Sunwest Inc behind five of the seven substandard flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro. -- <strong>with a report from Agatha Gregorio, ABS-CBN News</strong></p><div><br/></div><div><em></em><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</strong></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/axmpAlbMKc4?&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/-tA4txlJl30?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><strong></strong><em><strong></strong></em><br/></div>

<p>Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co on Monday resigned from his position as a member of the House of Representatives.</p>

Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co on Monday resigned from his position as a member of the House of Representatives.

Zaldy Co resigns as House representative amid flood control scandal

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Zaldy Co resigns as House representative amid flood control scandal

ABS-CBN News

Published September 29, 2025 04:00 PM PHT

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Updated September 29, 2025 08:07 PM PHT

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