Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said on Saturday that claims recently made by resigned Rep. Zaldy Co on social media about alleged P100-billion budget insertions lack probative value unless properly authenticated.
Lacson emphasized that Co’s narrations, posted online, were not made under oath and therefore cannot serve as evidence. For the claims to be considered valid, Co would need to have his affidavit certified by a Philippine consul in the country where he currently resides and testify under oath before the Blue Ribbon Committee within the embassy or consulate. “Otherwise, no matter how many parts or episodes his narrations are, they will all remain as such—narrations,” Lacson said.
The committee had earlier refrained from playing Co’s first video during hearings for the same reason. Lacson considered inviting Co to testify via Zoom, but concerns were raised by Sen. Ronald dela Rosa that it could become a platform for propaganda, and the committee would have no authority to hold him accountable.
Meanwhile, Lacson and his staff have been reviewing the alleged P100 billion worth of projects Co claimed were inserted in the bicameral conference committee (Bicam) at the supposed instruction of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., via Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin. Their preliminary review has confirmed several items exist, though some dates of alleged deliveries in 2024 contradict Co’s statements regarding the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
Lacson also noted that Co’s claim that the President directed P100 billion to be inserted into the Department of Public Works and Highways’ budget during Bicam defies logic, since such directives would normally be handled during the National Expenditure Program (NEP) stage, before the budget reaches the bicameral committee.
