Recap: Zaldy Co Claims Marcos Ordered P100-B Insertions—Malacañang Responds

(SPOT.ph) What just happened? If you were tied up at work when former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co decided to drop a bomb, we’re here to catch you up with all the important stuff—because Malacañang fired back just as quickly. Here's everything you need to know.

In a six-minute video sent to reporters, Co began by revisiting the period when he oversaw the budget process as chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, the panel that reviews and shapes the national budget.

He admitted to facilitating around P100 billion in budget insertions for the 2025 national budget—a directive he claimed came straight from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. through Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and PLLO Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin.

“Right after our conversation, tinawagan ko po si dating Speaker Martin Romualdez at nireport ko ang instructions ng Presidente to insert the P100 billion projects at sinabi niya sa akin, 'What the President wants, he gets.’”

The list of projects from Marcos was notably said to have come from a “brown leather bag.”

Documents released by Co assert that P81.08 billion has been allocated to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), with the rest spread across several agencies: P2.8 billion to the Philippine Coconut Authority, P2 billion each to the National Electrification Administration (NEA) and the National Housing Authority (NHA), P5.405 billion to the Office of the President, and P6.5 billion to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). The full list can be found on Co's Facebook page.

Co said he proposed splitting the amount into P50 billion, saying the initial P100 billion would bloat infrastructure projects too much. He suggested putting half in programmed funds instead and half in unprogrammed funds controlled by the Office of the President. According to him, this idea was rejected.

"Kaya po nagtataka ako kung bakit sinasabi ni Pangulo na hindi niya makilala ang budget samantalang lahat na binawas at dinagdag sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno ay humihingi ng approval sa kanya si Sec. Mina Pangandaman," Co said, referring to President Marcos' remarks in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July about the budget measure having been tampered with.

In the same video, Co explained he left the country for a medical check-up in July but was instructed to remain abroad. He described assurances given to him—“aayusin ka namin,” as he phrased it—as efforts to keep him silent.

“Ginawa nila akong poster boy ng kanilang sariling kasinungalingan… Sana po ay hindi nila ako mapatay bago ko mailabas ang lahat. Ngayon, hindi na ako mananahimik. Ilalabas ko ang lahat ng katotohanan. May resibo, may ebidensya, at may pangalan.”

Co ended his video by saying what he released was only “Part One” of the story.

Also read: Why Claudine Co’s Name Is All Over Your Feed

Malacañang, meanwhile, was quick to reject each of Co's allegations. Presidential Communications Office Press Officer Dave Gomez called Co’s allegations “wild accusations” that are “completely without basis in fact.” He emphasized that Marcos was the one who initiated investigations into infrastructure anomalies, attempting to recover stolen wealth, and prevent similar schemes through measures such as the creation of the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI).

PCO Spokesperson Claire Castro pointed out how Co's claims raised more questions than answers about his own role.

“Dahil lumiliit na ang mundo ni Zaldy Co, kailangan niyang umiwas at iiwas ang sarili at mag-name drop kahit walang katibayan at laway lang ang puhunan,” Castro said, urging Co to return to face the music in the Philippines.

“Para masagip ang sarili sa paratang ng pagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan at mapalitaw na siya ang biktima, siya ay magtatahi ng maling kwento laban sa ibang tao. Magtuturo ng iba pwera ang sarili niya kahit na ang ari-arian niya at ng kanyang pamilya ay nagsusumigaw ng ebidensya laban sa kanya.”

Budget Secretary Pangandaman and Undersecretary Bersamin have also separately rejected Co’s account.

The executive maintains that once the National Expenditure Program is submitted to Congress, it no longer participates in bicameral negotiations, and therefore could not have issued the instructions Co claims.

Co resigned as Ako Bicol congressman on September 29, following growing calls for him to return to the Philippines to answer allegations related to budget insertions in the flood control scandal.

Also read: ICI Calls Out "Widespread Destruction of Documents” in DPWH Flood Control Projects