Malacañang on Friday rejected former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co’s allegations that he funneled public funds on behalf of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., saying the former lawmaker was inventing stories to avoid accountability.
Co earlier claimed that Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez instructed him to insert ₱100 billion into the national budget, and alleged that Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman relayed the supposed directive during the bicameral conference committee.
Presidential Communications Office Secretary Dave Gomez dismissed the accusations as “without basis and fact,” urging Co to return to the Philippines and place his statements under oath before proper authorities.
Pangandaman, who joined the briefing, said Co’s narrative was riddled with inconsistencies, noting that any presidential budget insertion would logically occur during the drafting of the National Expenditure Program, not at the bicameral level. “The bicam is purely under the legislature. We respect and strictly follow the budget process, and all our actions are above board,” she said.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro issued the strongest rebuke, accusing Co of creating false narratives to evade the mounting cases linked to the flood control corruption scandal. She said evidence, testimonies, and Co’s suspicious wealth already tie him to the scheme.
“Dahil lumiliit na ang mundo ni Zaldy Co… siya ay magtatahi ng maling kuwento laban sa ibang tao,” Castro said, arguing that Co was resorting to name-dropping to portray himself as a victim.
