President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has called on former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co to return to the Philippines and confront the allegations he has made against the administration, saying online accusations “mean nothing” without due process.
Marcos emphasized the spread of misinformation online and urged Co, who is reportedly abroad for medical treatment, to address the issues in person.
Co has accused Marcos, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and several Cabinet officials of inserting up to P100 billion into the proposed 2025 national budget and allegedly receiving P2 billion in monthly kickbacks.
He also claimed he handled tens of billions in supposed funds linked to both officials from 2022 to 2025. Co denied benefiting from P21 billion in alleged kickbacks from flood control projects, insisting he merely relayed confirmation messages about fund deliveries.
Malacañang rejected Co’s allegations as hearsay, with Marcos saying he has been transparent and is not hiding from scrutiny. The Palace noted that the President himself exposed irregularities in flood control projects and has pushed for accountability.
The controversy escalated as authorities confirmed arrest warrants against Co and 17 others over a questionable P289 million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro. The Department of the Interior and Local Government also announced that Interpol has issued a blue notice to help track Co’s whereabouts.
