Former Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Elizaldy Co is facing intensified calls to return to the Philippines and cooperate fully with ongoing investigations into alleged infrastructure corruption and a significant budgetary controversy. The demands come after Co publicly broke his silence, implicating high-ranking administration officials and alleging direct involvement by the President in budget insertions.

🗣️ De Lima Urges Sworn Testimony

Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Representative Leila de Lima led the call, issuing a statement on Friday urging Co to provide his testimony under oath. She emphasized that only by swearing to his statements in a proper forum could his revelations be effectively used in legal and investigative proceedings.

“We urge former Rep. Zaldy Co to return to the country and fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation into the anomalous flood control and other infrastructure projects,” De Lima stated. “He should take an oath and tell the whole truth before the proper forum.”

Co had previously released a video statement claiming that key administration figures—specifically Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and Presidential Legislative Liason Office Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin—had informed him that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. allegedly ordered the placement of ₱100 billion in budget insertions. This explosive claim forms the crux of the current political firestorm.

🏛️ Makabayan Bloc: Marcos is the ‘Chief Architect’

The Makabayan bloc, comprising ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela party-list Rep. Sarah Elago, and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co, stated that the President must personally explain and address the accusations.

The progressive coalition argued that Co’s testimony “demolishes any pretense that Marcos Jr. is innocent or unaware of the corruption plaguing his administration. He is not merely complicit—he is the chief architect.” They contend that the President personally approves the release of unprogrammed funds and directly orders substantial budget insertions, placing the ultimate responsibility squarely on him.

While acknowledging that Co’s revelations might be “motivated by self-preservation after being made a scapegoat and charged while others enjoyed protection,” the Makabayan bloc stressed that this does not lessen the gravity of his claims. They insisted that the list of projects mentioned by Co, along with the private contractors involved, must be thoroughly investigated.

Budget Prioritization Concerns

Makabayan further asserted that Co’s testimony validates their long-held suspicions regarding the bloating of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget. They noted that the 1987 Constitution mandates that education should receive the highest budgetary priority, yet the DPWH budget has consistently rivaled or exceeded that of the Department of Education (DepEd).

According to Makabayan’s interpretation of Co’s claim: “When Zaldy Co stated that only ₱50 billion could realistically be inserted into programmed appropriations without making DPWH’s budget exceed DepEd… this was allegedly overruled by Malacañang because this was apparently already promised to the President.”

The bloc also highlighted that Co has yet to release “Part 2” of his testimony, which allegedly details the actual delivery of money to the residences of Marcos Jr. and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, intensifying the need for an exhaustive and independent probe.

💼 Details of the Alleged Presidential Order

In his video statement, Co recounted a specific incident in 2024 where Budget Secretary Pangandaman allegedly instructed him to confirm with Undersecretary Bersamin whether the President had indeed ordered the insertion of ₱100 billion into the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB). After receiving this confirmation, Co said he informed Romualdez of the instruction.

Co stated he was convinced the order originated from the President because Bersamin referenced the project details being placed in a “brown leather bag.” This detail resonated with Co, as he recalled President Marcos Jr. speaking about a similar bag when he, the President, and Romualdez returned from a trip to Singapore. Co described the President as having ordered the Presidential Security Command (PSC) to retrieve the bag when it was left behind, stating that while everything else could be left, the brown leather bag could not.

Following these confirmations, Co said he appealed to Pangandaman and Bersamin to limit the insertion to just half of the ₱100 billion and place it into unprogrammed funds. His goal was to prevent the DPWH allocation from exceeding the crucial budget for DepEd. Co expressed his surprise that the President has since claimed he “cannot recognize” the 2025 budget, given what Co alleges was his direct instruction.

❓ The Genesis of the 2025 Budget Controversy

The 2025 budget has been mired in controversy since the bicameral conference committee finalized the bill. In January 2025, Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab and his ally, former President Rodrigo Duterte, publicly alleged that the budget was illegal due to “blank” items in the bicameral report ratified by the House.

In response, former Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, then the acting chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, countered that the blank spaces were merely placeholders left for final calculations, asserting that the figures for the items were already determined. Quimbo clarified that the report on the General Appropriations Bill was prepared by the technical staff of the Senate Committee on Finance, and that all adjustments could be verified in the Senate’s committee report.

🚨 Co’s Legal Troubles and Counter-Accusations

Co’s own credibility and motives are under scrutiny, as he himself faces multiple legal challenges related to the 2025 national budget and the infrastructure scandal.

Kickback Allegations: During a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, contractor-couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya named several lawmakers, including Co, who allegedly solicited and received kickbacks in exchange for helping their firms secure government contracts. Separately, former officials of the Bulacan first district engineering office, Henry Alcantara and Brice Hernandez, also tagged Co and others as being involved in the infrastructure kickback scheme.

Budget Mangling Claims: Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco accused Co of “mangling” the 2025 budget, claiming that party-lists associated with Co received substantial DPWH allocations: ₱2.23 billion for Ako Bicol, ₱2.06 billion for Barangay Health Workers (represented by Co’s niece), and ₱13 billion allegedly allocated under Elizaldy Co himself.

Tiangco has been consistently urging Co since August to disclose all amendments made by the small committee for the 2025 budget, viewing this transparency as a litmus test for the House leadership’s stated commitment to budgetary reforms.